hack Guardian, Segment 1: Overture to the Twilight
by Emerald-Sekai
Summary: Part 1 of 4. When the mysterious AIDA threatens "The World" and begins sending players into comas, ten-year veteran Haruko and his friends must band together, along with the AI Zefie, to battle against this new threat.
1. An Adventure's Beginning

Author's note: The .hack// franchise belongs to Bandai. All characters from .hack//GU (including bit-characters and NPCs like Henako) are also property of Bandai; Haruko and the rest are my own personal creations.

Author's note 2 (Electric Boogaloo!): This fanfiction, like most of mine, uses honorifics fairly extensively. For those of you who don't understand them, here's a quick run-down:

San: This is the standard honorific. Think of it like our "Mr./Mrs."; in Japanese, however, it's much more commonly used, and is also used with first names (example: Sora-san).

Kun: The honorific that Sora uses more than any other. It has two meanings; it can be used to indicate the superiority of the speaker (and inferiority of the addressee; Sakata-sensei uses it in this sense), or it can be used between friends (male classmates in particular will often use this.)

Chan: Used when addressing children or close friends (though guys will usually be addressed using kun). It implies a sense of childishness or cuteness (Shizuka, who appears in Segment 2, uses the nickname 'So-chan' for Sora in this sense.)

Sama: Confers high respect on the addressee. It can also indicate an old-fashioned sort of crush (for example, Yumi from Rurouni Kenshin addresses Shishio by 'sama' because of her extreme love for him.)

Dono: Also an honorific of high respect; various sources put it lower or higher than 'sama', but it is certain that this indicates humility on the speaker's part.

Tan, Puu, Chii, etc.: A name using an honorific like one of these is almost certain to be a nickname bestowed upon a person by a highly energetic character, usually a kogal (trendy high school girl; essentially the JP version of Valley High). For example, Mistral nicknames Balmung "Baltan" in .hack//Legend of the Twilight.

Oniisan/chan, Aneesan/chan: Literally, "Big Brother" and "Big Sister", respectively. Although they can be used in other contexts, within this story they are always used by a younger sibling to address an older one. Whether the address ends in 'san' or 'chan' depends on the relationship between speaker and addressee; 'Oniichan' implies closeness and a certain element of cuteness.

No honorific: Although most of the characters within "The World" eschew honorifics when talking to each other (Sora/Haruko being a glaring exception), in the real world, addressing a person using only their first name, with no honorific (an address known as yobisute), is a sign of extreme intimacy. Being asked by someone to call them by just their first name is a sign of extreme closeness and love. (Within families, older members will also address younger members using yobisute, but the meaning is slightly different here.)

Author's Note 3 (With a Vengeance): There is no #3. Go enjoy the story already! (It's already done, so I'll upload a chapter every night.) :D

.hack//Guardian

File Segment 1: Overture to the Twilight

Time: About six months prior to the events of .hack//GU.

Morrigu Barrow is a famous area within the online game "The World R:2", a game with worldwide fame and over 12 million players. Unlike most fields, this "Lost Ground" holds no monsters, but only a unique area of amazing beauty and detail. The field centers around a wall that towers to the heavens- and, according to the game's back-story, blocks off the path that leads to the heavens. Players can wander around a small patch of grass that adjoins the wall, but since they can't do much else, the place is frequently abandoned.

However, on this particular day in the year 2017, anyone seized with a desire to visit the Wall would have found three characters already there; a young man and two young girls were chasing each other around in a game of tag. Eventually, the three collapsed into the grass, panting and smiling broadly, and lay quietly for a while.

"Hey, Haruko?" The older of the two girls raised her head and spoke.

The young man stretched and yawned. "Yeah, Henako-chan? What's up?"

As he glanced across at the young girl lying next to him, she gave him an odd grin. "Did you hear that latest rumor, Haruko?"

Haruko raised an eyebrow. "Rumor? This is 'The World', Henako-chan. There are as many rumors out there as there are cherry blossoms in Kyoto in springtime."

Henako giggled. "Yeah, but that's why you have me around, right? No, Nuada and I checked this one out thoroughly. Even Encephalon got interested in this."

Haruko shrugged. "Everything interests Encephalon-san and 'him', whatever he means by that. So, what's the rumor this time? Did someone else get stuck here and unable to logout?"

The third member of their party, a young child in white, shivered. "Don't remind me. But no, I would have sensed something like that."

Henako shook her head. "No, but it is an echo of the past. There have been a lot of reports lately, of a powerful PK that nobody can defeat."

Haruko shrugged. "So what? It's probably just some new kid trying to make the Blacklist. There's got to be something more to it than that."

Henako nodded. "Two things more, actually. First, this PK is a Twin Blade who wields a weapon like nothing anybody else has ever seen. He's called Tri-Edge for a reason." Haruko sat straight up. "Ah, it seems even an airhead like you has heard of him. So then, you know. They say that those who are killed by him never return to 'The World', and their real-life selves fall into a coma."

Haruko slumped, one hand against his head. "Again… I'd hoped this one was just that: a rumor. Have you…"

Henako nodded. "I've already set Nuada and Encephalon onto the case, checking reports of attacks against the real-life player collapses. It's tough work, especially since C.C. Corp has upgraded its security servers, but…" She hesitated. "We've confirmed one case already. But you're not going to like this."

Haruko looked up. "Who is it?"

Henako shook her head, refusing to meet his eyes. "It's Shino. She was attacked two weeks ago, and she hasn't come back since. And I know her in real life, so I was able to confirm. A coma, of unknown origin."

Haruko slammed a fist into the dirt by his feet. "Shino-chan… no… Curse you, Morganna! How long are you going to keep tormenting everyone like this?"

Henako tugged a lock of the young girl's blonde hair. "Hey, kiddo. Do you know anything about this? If it's Morganna again, then we've got some real problems on our hands."

The girl looked up at her. "Maybe, but I'm not sure. Do you have a description?"

Henako blinked. "Well, yeah, actually. For some reason, Tri-Edge generally kills only one member of a party, then leaves. The other two get away- that's why this rumor could even get started. So we do have a pretty good idea. This is actually the most bizarre thing about this rumor; those who remember the days of R:1 swear that he looks almost exactly like Kite!"

Haruko stared at her. "Kite? As in Kite-sama, the famous dot hacker? Besides Shugo-kun, who hasn't played in months, who would dare use his character?" He glanced over at the youngest girl, and stopped short at the look on her face. "Zefie-chan? What's wrong?"

Zefie shook her head violently, trembling. "I don't believe it. I didn't think even Morganna was capable of something this horrible…" She looked up at the two seated next to her. "I was worried about this. You see, about a month before you two first met me, my mom created a defensive program, just in case. Morganna was getting restless, and since the Twilight Guardians didn't exist yet, she was getting worried about our safety. She modeled him after Kite: looks, abilities, everything. She changed a few things, and had to give him his own AI personality, but otherwise it was the same old Kite. But, Mom had to send him off unfinished, because she sensed something…" She shook her head. "Morganna must have taken control of him, corrupted his data, and then set him to attack innocent people. I…" She broke off, sobbing.

Haruko smiled sadly and put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, easy now. Don't go blaming yourself for what's Morganna's fault. If he's fallen under her control, we'll just have to stop him, that's all."

Henako shrugged. "Well, 'take a number', as you Americans say." Haruko gave her a look of mock fury. "Easy, I'm just kidding. But seriously, I think you should leave it to Haseo. You know how he felt about Shino."

Haruko nodded. "Right. And it makes sense. As strong as Akiko-kun and I are, Haseo-dono is even stronger. He would have a better chance of stopping him."

Zefie shook her head. "Except for one thing. You, Haseo, and Akiko are all strong fighters, that's true. But Azure Kite… I mean Tri-Edge…"

Haruko sat straight up. "That's right, that's right! Whenever Aura-sama is involved, game parameters go straight out the window! So that means…"

Zefie nodded. "That means that even the three of you together likely could not hope to bring him down. It's all well and good to try to let Haseo get his revenge, but at this rate, he will only end up getting defeated as well."

Henako shrugged. "So, we'll just have to exceed the usual parameters too. You can help with that, right kiddo?" Zefie nodded. "That's good. Because, Tri-Edge isn't the only thing that's going haywire in 'The World' right now. I was hacking into Yata's files yesterday- you know, that admin that Ovan's friends with- and I noticed an entry on something called 'AIDA'. That's the provisional name that C.C. Corp has given these bizarre events."

Haruko nodded. "Short for 'Artificially Intelligent Data Anomaly', right? So there are more of these things?"

Henako frowned. "You remember that weird monster that attacked us a month ago? The one that wouldn't take any damage until you pulled out that weird ability and blasted it? That was a listed attack. With a note- 'Anomaly repelled by unknown forces. Suggest special attention.'"

Zefie giggled, and then turned to Haruko. "It'll be all up to you, I guess. You'll have to find a way to fully awaken your 'power'. But even without it, are you willing to fight?"

Haruko tightened his grip on his twin blades. "Absolutely."

Henako grinned, twirling her staff. "Of course, silly! We always knew when we started this guild we'd have to deal with weird stuff."

Haruko chuckled. "Well, it's a good thing you _like_ weird stuff, then, eh Henako-chan?"

Zefie nodded. "I knew you would say that, Haruko. So, to help you fight…" She extended her arm and placed on Haruko's wrist. "Mommy left this in my care. She said, 'You'll know when the time is right, and who the right person is to give it to.' Don't forget the legacy this item bears, Haruko. But, I guess I don't need to remind someone like you, right? You nerdy gaijin."

Haruko stared as a golden bracelet shimmered into existence around his wrist. "The Twilight Bracelet…" he breathed. "It is certainly fitting that we use it to fight Tri-Edge, who was based on Kite-sama, its first wielder. But am I…?"

Henako laughed. "Worthy, unworthy, who cares? It looks good on you, so that's all that matters!"

Zefie gave him a wide grin. "She's right- who cares? I'm giving it to you now. You'll need to have someone with Data Drain on your side if you're going to go up against AIDA."

Haruko sighed. "Well, then, that's settled. And so begins our silent war against AIDA. I'm kind of glad, actually. This time I can actually do something, instead of just watching others fight." He turned to Zefie and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, Zefie-chan, I know we were just starting to have fun, but I'd better get going."

Zefie giggled. "It's fine. We can play some other time."

Haruko nodded. "All right, let's go, Henako-chan." The two raised their weapons, and vanished in a stream of blue light. A blue sphere rushed from each player to the nearby platform. Flying along the currents of power, they soon arrived at the Root Town, Mac Anu. Haruko stepped away from the Chaos Gate and sighed. "So, it begins. We'd better call a guild meeting. The others will have to be informed…"

Henako frowned. "Yeah, but here's one now who maybe shouldn't be informed, if you catch my drift."

Haruko followed her pointing finger, his eyes widening. "Oh… Wait here; I'll go talk to him."

Henako shrugged. "Actually, I have to log out now. There's a case I've been letting sit for too long now."

Haruko raised an eyebrow. "You and your paranormal phenomena. When are you going to learn that the real world doesn't have parameters you can exceed?"

Henako gave him a manic grin. "Ah, but how do you know the real world isn't a game too? Haven't you seen The Matrix?" She grinned as she raised her staff. "Nobody except you believed in Zefie until you found her, but she exists." Blue light began to shower around her. As she faded, she laughed. "So why should ghosts be any different?"

Haruko snickered as she faded from sight. He sent a quick message to follow her across the ether. _You know, there's a reason when I introduce you, all I say is that you're, well, Henako-chan. Keep an eye on Shino-chan for me, okay?_ He turned and walked over to the young player. "Hey, Haseo-dono!" He eyed Haseo's new outfit. Heavy leather, embellished with bronze in several places, encircled him. A high collar obscured the lower parts of his face, but Haruko could tell that Haseo was grinning somewhat smugly. Haruko laughed. "Don't tell me I missed the Job Extensions again."

Haseo shook his head. "Well, no, actually. They'll be going on for a few days still. Plenty of time- assuming someone like you can make it to level twenty by then."

Haruko gave him an amused look. "What do you take me for? I was level twenty when you were still in grade school." He blinked. "Come to think of it, _I_ was still in grade school in those days. Anyway, I'm already level 27, so no worries there. So anyway, what did you pick up?"

Haseo grinned, and with a flash of light, an enormous chainsword appeared in his hands. "Edge Punisher. I can use broadswords now. Pretty cool, huh?"

Haruko grinned. "Well, Akiko-kun will be very happy to hear that. I'm going for Blade Brandier, myself."

Haseo laughed. "What is it with you and weak weapons, anyway?"

Haruko shrugged. "Well, an Adept Rogue can be either fast or strong, but not both. Even you, Haseo-dono; you wield those twin blades as a power weapon, whereas I wield them for speed."

Haseo smirked. "Yes, but remind me again who's brought in more bounties?"

Haruko grinned, and then sighed. "Listen… I heard about Shino-chan. I'm sorry."

Haseo ground his teeth so fiercely that Haruko could hear it. "When I find Tri-Edge… I'm going to grind him into the dust. I am going to PK him so hard he feels it in real life. He'll feel everything Shino felt when he did that to her." He stared at Haruko, a wild look in his eye. "I could hear her. She was screaming when he used that ability on her. And now she won't wake up…"

Haruko looked Haseo directly in the eye. "Haseo-dono, listen to what I have to say. I know how you feel. Shino-chan was my friend too. But don't let thoughts of revenge blind you. Tri-Edge… Zefie-chan told me some things about him. He's not-"

Haseo cut him off. "I don't care what that little girl you play with says. What would she know about Tri-Edge, anyway? And I'm not even going to waste the breath it would take to yell at you about her, and how weird it is that you hang around with little kids."

Haruko blinked. "I think you just wasted more time telling me you weren't going to yell than actually yelling, ya know?"

A tic appeared on Haseo's forehead. "I'm serious, Haruko! Stop kidding around!"

Haruko grinned. "Now that would be impossible." His face grew serious. "As impossible as it would be for either of us to defeat Tri-Edge as we are now." Haseo glared at him, but Haruko looked calmly back. "Shino-chan is not the only one who's fallen to him. Henako-chan already dug up a list of incidents involving just this one anomaly. Even someone like Ovan could lose out to him."

Haseo raised an eyebrow. "You still don't like Ovan, huh? He's my friend, I trust him. But, maybe you're right. I couldn't do a thing to help Shino. I'm not nearly strong enough."

Haruko shook his head. "No. He's outside the game's parameters. Nobody can ever be as strong as he is. Unless…" He shook his head. "A power lies within you, Haseo-dono. Learn to use that power, understand it, and even Tri-Edge will fall. But…" He sighed. "I'm sorry, but if I find Tri-Edge first I'm going to end it right then and there. Otherwise, more of our friends are just going to get hurt."

Haseo raised an eyebrow. "_You're_ going to defeat him?"

Haruko grinned. "Yeah. I've got a 'power' of my own. Come on, then, Haseo-dono. Let's have us a little race. First one to Tri-Edge gets to take revenge for both of us. Agreed?" He extended his hand.

Haseo frowned and looked away. "Sorry, Haruko. But that is one game I really don't feel like playing." He turned away, towards the Chaos Gate.

Haruko put a hand on his shoulder. "Wait a minute, Haseo-dono. I count you as one of my friends- and a real friend, not just someone I exchanged member addresses with. Don't be reckless. And make sure you strengthen your mind as well, because if Tri-Edge does defeat you, it will take all your strength and will to avoid joining Shino-chan."

Haseo nodded, then gently shrugged off the hand and walked towards the Chaos Gate. "Thanks. I'll see you around sometime, maybe."

Haruko watched him as he raised his twin blades and vanished. "Be careful, Haseo-dono," he muttered. He spun on his heel. "Now, to get that extension, before I miss it again," he said calmly.


	2. Job Extension

Some time later, Haruko found himself deep in one of the many dungeons in "The World". He smiled tightly. "Almost there. Now where's that Beast Statue… ah!" He ran towards the floating statue, but then screeched to a halt. "Akiko-kun? How'd you manage to beat me down here?"

The tall, muscular Ya tribe character turned to face him with a grin on his face. "Ah, Haruko! I see you managed to catch a Job Extension quest this time. Shall we have ourselves our fifty-first battle, and prove once and for all that I'm the better fighter?"

Haruko shook his head. "Probably not the best idea, Akiko-kun, although we certainly can't let that 25-25 tie stand. Let's get our extensions and test them out first. Then we can see…" He broke off, as a strange sound reached his ears. "Wait. Did you hear that?"

Akiko shook his head. "No. What are you talking about?"

Haruko raised a hand. "Quiet. I know I heard it. Like a tuning fork… there!"

Akiko blinked. "Now I hear it. What is that?"

Haruko grit his teeth. "Trouble. A tuning fork always means trouble in this place."

Akiko shrugged. "Well, whatever. It's not like anything can give the two of us any trouble." He drew out his broadsword. "Let's see what kind of menace pops up this time."

Haruko nodded, and then winced as the tuning fork sounded again, louder than ever. "It's coming. Get ready!" he called. Akiko nodded, and then ducked as a ball of black energy crackled over his head. Haruko frowned. "Oh no… another rumor confirmed. Remind me to tell Henako about this later."

Akiko groaned. "Great. A Doppelganger monster. Who would put that there?" He charged the black figure, which swiftly morphed into a copy of Akiko and parried his attack.

Haruko shook his head. "Worse than that. This stuff has been popping up everywhere. Henako-chan says C.C. Corp's calling it 'AIDA'. Nobody put it there, unless you count Morganna."

Akiko nodded, leaping back from the melee. "So, that blasted witch is at it again? Where's Zefie?"

Haruko shrugged. "I think she went back to Hulle Granz. She should be safe there, for the time being. She did give me this, though." He held aloft his right hand, the gold bracelet shimmering. "Now I just have to figure out how to use it."

Akiko nearly dropped his blade. "The Twilight Bracelet? So Aura finally trusts you to fight against Morganna and her creations?"

Haruko nodded. "I guess so. But not just me, mind you- us." He grinned. "It's finally time, Akiko-kun. Finally, it's our turn to fight to defend Aura-sama and 'The World'." He parried a slicing attack from the doppelganger, which now looked like him, and quickly spun, striking the enemy three times. Akiko tossed a few Tornado talismans into the fray, striking the doppelganger with powerful wind magic. Haruko sighed as a torrent of zeros floated above the monster's head. "I knew it. See? It's not taking any damage. Even for a doppelganger, this thing is too powerful."

A shout rang out from down the tunnel. "Hey! Captain Akiko! And Master Haruko, too! It's been a while!" The young figure stopped at the doorway and stared. "What the…?"

Akiko looked over at the young man and yelped. "Mirage! Get back! That's an order!"

Mirage blinked, his long hair falling over one eye as it always did. "What? What's wrong, Captain?" He drew out his grimoire. "Come on, let me fight! I can help!"

The doppelganger whirled on this new foe, shifting form once again. As it did, Haruko noticed black dots playing around its form. "Mirage-san! Get away from there! It's an attack from Morganna!" Mirage readied his spellbook and cast flames at his opponent. "It's no good!" Haruko shouted, as the fire passed straight through the creature. "It's shielded from normal attacks!" The doppelganger leapt at Mirage, a crazy look in its reflected eyes. Haruko charged after it. "Oh no you don't!" Suddenly, the bracelet began to glow bright gold. He grinned. "Take this! Data Drain!" he shouted, as a sphere of golden light shot from his hand into the creature.

It caught the creature just before it reached its target. The doppelganger crashed to the ground just in front of Mirage, who leapt back as data began to swirl around its prone form. Strings of data, ones and zeros and other strange symbols, burst forth and flew into Haruko's outstretched hand as he grinned. "One down," he said firmly, as the AIDA crumbled into dust.

Mirage stared. "What was that?" Distractedly, he ran a hand through his blue hair. "What's going on?"

Haruko shrugged, kicking open the treasure chest that lay in front of the Beast Statue. "Well, Morganna's up to no good again. Do you remember what I told you about the Twilight Incident, back when you joined the guild? It's happening again, I'm afraid. But this time, we're going to fight too." He bent, and extracted three items from the chest. "In any case, looks like we're done with the quest. What are you guys going to take, anyway?"

Akiko thought for a moment. "Lord Partisan. I'm still pretty weak against flying enemies."

Mirage grinned. "Well, I'm taking Blade Brandier, of course. And you as well, right?"

Haruko grinned and tossed an item to each of the other two. "Yep. A black mage knight… it's the idea that the Adept Rogue was created to allow, but you never seem to see them. Well, let's get going."

Back at Mac Anu, Haruko quickly found the Quest Shop and handed over the seal he'd found in the chest. The old man who had set the quest nodded. "Good. You have proven your strength. Now, child, I will grant you the power you seek."

Haruko nodded, as the sage raised his hand and the familiar buildings of Mac Anu faded into darkness around him. His eyes closed, and then snapped open. He stared around him as a new scene appeared. To each side, a long corridor extended out towards infinity._ No doubt it's supposed to represent the infinite possibilities inherent in this class. This is definitely one of Piros-san's creations. I'll have to remember to thank him. It's absolutely incredible._ His train of thought trailed off as streams of data began to swirl around him. He gazed upwards to the gleaming red roof above his head, then down at his usual outfit. _Wonder how my second form will look. Haseo-dono's was cool, but even so…_ He smiled, fingering the material of his simple tabard. _Oh well. We'll find out soon enough._ Tendrils of energy swirled around him, so fast they formed a gleaming orb around him. A moment passed, and then the orb shattered into a hundred gleaming flecks. Haruko floated slowly down to the ground, a completely different outfit shimmering into existence around him. The curling wave tattoos on his face vanished, and then reappeared in a slightly different form. Light streamed along his face, tracing out the lines as they ran around his eyes, framing them with curling blue streams.

Slowly, the infinite space faded away, leaving Haruko standing in the streets of Mac Anu. He grinned, and from his side he drew a beautiful katana and flourished it. "Nice…" he mused. "Now then…" He looked down at himself, twisting around to examine his new character appearance. The outfit seemed like a standard sky-blue kimono at first, but he quickly found that the sleeves had been cut very short, barely covering his shoulders. Around his waist was a slim sword belt, holding up a loose, skirt-like garment that Haruko quickly recognized as a hakama, the favorite garment of swordsmen of old. The color, a rich, dark red that was almost the color of wine, surprised him for a moment, but then he realized the effect was actually quite nice. Although the kimono was left unobscured, armored plates hung over each leg of the hakama, and he could feel a steel band cinched around his stomach for protection. He grinned, raising one hand and examining the stiff cloth bracer that shielded it. "So this is my second form. Amazing… I'm really going to have to thank Piros-san for making such incredible graphics."

He wandered towards the Chaos Gate. "Might as well get some leveling in before I go to kendo class," he said. "It's as good a time as any for me to test out my new powers." He stopped before the Gate as three figures stepped through.

The first of them, a cute young Harvest Cleric in a green dress, turned and began to eagerly thank the two behind her for showing her around. As she turned, a pair of pretty cloth wings caught Haruko's eye. One of the other party members, a smiling blue-furred Lei tribe member, laughed. "Hey, don't worry about it. That's why we're here. If you have any trouble, just call on any of us in the Third Unit. Or there's Kuhn and his friends in Canard- they also help out newbies, so you can ask them if you want, or if we're not around." She gave her a thumbs-up. "Just remember, don't lose sight of that fire you have in you. Fire and determination- one who does not lack these things will have no end of strength."

The other character, a tall man in impressive golden armor, laughed. "Yes! Always remember to keep your burning passion alight! Show it like a beacon for all players to see! Ha ha!"

The young player sweatdropped. The Beast player groaned. "Hang on a second," she said, drawing out her grimoire.

Before the strike landed, the flat of a blade bounced off of the golden man's head. Piros stumbled, whirled around, and spluttered indignantly as Haruko stepped forward, laughing. "Yuki-chan, it's been a while, eh? And Piros-san, too. I see you haven't changed at all in the last few weeks. And…" He turned towards the young player. "Here's one I haven't met. Are you a new player?"

She nodded. "Yes. My name is Atoli. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Haruko grinned. "I'm Haruko. It's a pleasure to meet you, too, Atoli-san."

Atoli blinked. "Atoli… san? Did I hear you right?"

Yuki laughed. "Oh, don't mind Haruko. That's just one of his little quirks. He likes to use honorifics, even though it's an online game."

Atoli giggled. "Oh, I see. Well, Haruko-san, Yuki and Piros were just showing me around 'The World'. I just started playing today, but it's even more beautiful than I imagined."

Haruko raised an eyebrow. "Beautiful, huh? That's not a word I often hear from players these days. But yeah, the graphics are awesome. Speaking of which… hang on a second. I need to thank one of my friends at C.C. Corp for putting together that amazing Job Extension sequence."

Piros grinned. "Yes, wasn't it amazing? A true work of art!"

Haruko laughed. "Yeah, I was just going to thank you for making it. And this second form is amazing, too!" he added, spinning on the spot to show it off. He tapped the goggles that were strapped around his forehead. "I especially like this part. It must have taken a long time to get everything right, eh?"

Piros nodded. "Days, in fact. But it was worth it in the end."

Atoli blinked. "Um, Piros? Are you a graphics designer or something?"

Piros jumped. "What are you talking about? Of course not! I've got nothing to do with C.C. Corp!"

"Or so _he_ says," whispered Yuki to Atoli. The two girls giggled.

Piros spun around indignantly. "What was that?" he shouted. "Just because graphics are my passion, you all think I'm with the company! Pah!" He shook his head. "Honestly. How many times do I have to say it?"

Haruko laughed. "How many times do I have to ask you before you admit the truth? It's pretty obvious from listening to what you say that you're a graphics artist of some persuasion." He shrugged, and raised a hand, cutting off Piros' indignant protests. "Enough, enough. It's not worth it, and I'm not in the mood anyway." He turned to Atoli and smiled. "Say, if you like beautiful places, there's one I could show you now, if you'd like."

Atoli blinked. "Huh? Well, um…"

Yuki giggled. "Oh, don't worry, Atoli. I'll come with you if you're nervous. But you can trust Haruko in any case- he's the leader of our guild, and a real nice guy. Even if he _is_ a little naïve when it comes to talking to us girls."

Atoli nodded. Haruko smiled as the two exchanged member addresses and Yuki rearranged the party. "All right, then. See you later, Piros-san." He turned to the Chaos Gate. "All right. The area word is Δ Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground. Let's go!"

The three flickered with blue light and vanished. At their destination, Atoli stared around in wonder. "What… what is this place?" she said, almost breathless. She ran to the side of the platform and gazed downward in wonder at the scene beneath the floating stage they stood on. "It's beautiful…"

Haruko smiled calmly. "This is the Hulle Granz Cathedral. It was here, or so the story goes, that…"

Atoli lit up excitedly. "This is where they imprisoned the goddess Aurora! This is where the rebels kept her, until they decided to use her power to destroy the gods themselves!"

Haruko raised an eyebrow. "Well, now. I don't run across many people who know the backstory of 'The World' these days. Too many people don't seem to care." _Interesting,_ he mused silently. _Have we found another one that Zefie-chan would want to meet? …Well, I guess we'll find out soon enough._ He strode forward calmly to the door of the lone building, Atoli and Yuki following closely behind. Gently pushing the doors open, he raised one hand and turned to face the others. "Welcome, Atoli-san, to Hulle Granz."

Atoli stared around in awe as she entered, walking slowly and carefully. "It's… is it okay…?" She laughed. "No, I'm being silly."

Haruko shrugged. "Oh, come on. Even if it is silly, it's against my nature to be mean to such a cute girl." Atoli blushed. Yuki rolled her eyes and flashed her a grin. "Besides, I like silly ideas," Haruko continued, unabashed. "If nobody had them, both worlds would be a lot worse off."

Atoli giggled. "Well, I was just thinking… it seems like it's wrong for us to be here. Like we're trespassing on sacred ground. But, that's silly, right?"

Haruko sighed and stared up at the ceiling. "No. Not at all. That's what people are supposed to feel here." He grinned sheepishly. "It's what I feel too. But at the same time, I think that the very fact that we do feel like that is what gives us the right to be here. We're respectful of this place. That's all that matters."

Atoli, by this time, had reached the altar. "But it seems that someone has been here that does not respect this place," she said sadly.

Haruko blinked. "Hm? What do you mean, Atoli-san?"

Atoli pointed. "Look. That mark there. Somebody carved that into the altar."

Haruko groaned. "Oh man, Piros-san is going to be so mad. He hates it when people mess with his- excuse me, with _good_ graphics." He walked up besides Atoli and stared at the strange, three-pronged gash. "He's going to have to take a number, though. I'm going to really mess up the guy who did this." _Tri-Edge was here, too. I wonder if this is where it happened…_ He sighed and sank into a pew in the front row. "Atoli-san, what do you know about this place?"

Atoli shrugged. "Not much. There are always a lot of rumors about it, but of course those are just rumors."

Haruko laughed. "Just rumors? Atoli-san, this place, Hulle Granz, is unique in that it is the only Lost Ground, indeed the only field at all, that has survived from the days of Fragment, the original version of 'The World', to this very day. I stood here many times, ten years ago. I have changed a lot since those days, but it has not. You said there were rumors about this place. Actually, this place is _the_ focus for nearly every rumor that hovers around the boards- well, those that have any credibility at all, anyway. Everything strange that happens, every inexplicable event that has marked the history of 'The World', all of it has centered around this place."

Atoli blinked. "Strange events? Do you mean, like all the stories about people falling into comas, and being sucked into the game, and things like that? Aren't those just urban legends?"

Haruko sighed. "No, Atoli-san, they're not. If I could tell you of these things, if I could just take a few hours and tell you of the secret history of this game, the heroes and legends that have strode across these fields, I would. But then I would have to tell you of secrets I have no right telling."

Atoli nodded. "You mean, because they involve other people. So who does have that right, Haruko-san?"

Haruko opened his mouth to answer. Then he stared at the air above the altar, and his jaw dropped. "Well," he managed to stammer, "She does, actually."

He pointed, and Atoli turned around to see a strange energy swirling around. "What is that?" she said, bewildered. "It looks like someone's gating in, but… it's supposed to be blue, not pink."

Haruko smiled, and gently caught something as it flew by his ear. "No, but then Zefie-chan is not a normal character," he said, looking down at the feather in his hand. He smiled as Zefie materialized on top of the altar. "Atoli-san, meet Zefie-chan. You see, in this place the legends and rumors walk among us."

Zefie leapt lightly over the rail, landing in front of Atoli. She studied her for a moment with a disinterested look on her face. "Huh. She reminds me of that funny accent girl, kind of."

Haruko cocked his head. "You mean Hotaru-chan? Well, in a way, I guess."

Atoli wrinkled her nose. "Funny accent?"

Haruko laughed. "Oh, don't worry about her. She likes to give people nicknames she knows will annoy them. She always used to call Rena-chan 'ganguro'. It drove her crazy." He smiled, remembering. "Well, everyone except Shugo-kun. But then again, she was even stranger when it came to him."

Zefie gave Atoli a weird smile. "Well, anyway it's nice to meet you. Don't worry, I'll think up a good nickname for you soon enough."

Hesitatingly, Atoli bent down to talk to Zefie. "H-hello, Zefie. It's nice to meet you too. Um…" She turned to Haruko. "There were rumors about a girl in white- lots of them. Is this who they were talking about?"

Haruko's eyes widened in surprise for a moment. Then, he burst into laughter, a kind laugh that echoed around the vast space. "Oh, that brings back memories. Well, in a sense, she is. Zefie-chan is the famous 'girl in white'- or rather, one of the two- but of course all those posters on the rumor boards have completely blown things out of proportion."

Zefie giggled. "Don't worry, I don't suck out peoples' souls, and I promise if you play with me nothing bad will happen to you."

Atoli giggled along with her. "Well, define bad. So, do you want to play, then?"

A glint appeared in Zefie's eye, and the strange smile returned. "Yes! And now you're mine! We shall play here forever!"

Yuki groaned. "No… she's captured another! Run, Atoli, before it's too late!" Atoli gasped in fear.

Haruko stood, raising both arms out straight in an attempt to imitate a zombie, and advanced towards Atoli. She squeaked and fell. Haruko blinked, gave a strangled chuckle, and then collapsed to the floor, writhing with laughter. "Oh geez… your face! Atoli-san, you should have seen your face!"

Atoli blinked, and then looked around her. All three of the others had by now dissolved into gales of laughter. A giggle escaped her lips, and then she was on her knees, her high, clear laugh joining the rest.

About five minutes later, Haruko let out a long sigh and sat up stiffly. "Oh… oh… My sides hurt from laughing so much. That was absolutely priceless…"

Zefie sighed. "Say, Atoli… have you ever met my mommy?"

Atoli blinked. "Mommy?"

Haruko shrugged. "She means Aura-sama, the other famous 'girl in white'. I'd dearly love to meet her myself. She looks a lot like Zefie-chan, actually, but older, and she's got long white hair instead of blonde like Zefie-chan's."

Zefie pouted. "A few months ago- at the same time as that fire in the other world- I got separated from her. I can still sense her, so I know she's somewhere in 'The World', but I can't find her anywhere."

Atoli shook her head. "I've never seen anyone like that in 'The World'. But, wasn't she at the center of the Twilight incident?"

Haruko sighed, and frowned sadly. "Yeah. I'm jealous, to tell the truth. I've always been so close, but never managed to meet her. I met Zefie-chan once before, before she found Shugo-kun…"

"And saved me from a whole troop of Cobalt Knights," added Zefie. "Mirelle still has that video clip. It's quite the show, if you can persuade her or Haruko to let you see it."

"…But even back in the days when I was friends with Mimiru-chan and Sora-kun, I never caught so much as a glimpse of Aura-sama," Haruko finished. "You know, I could never figure out why you never did anything crazy to Mirelle-chan. And as for that Cobalt Knight thing, lest you forget, we only got out of that because Kamui-san was in Shanghai. Had she been there, I would have been- as we Americans say- toast."

Atoli blinked. "You're an American, Haruko-san? I wouldn't have guessed it."

Haruko grinned. "Heh… I get that a lot. Technically, I'm a Hawaiian- my father's a true native of the islands. But I have a mother who's Japanese and an older brother who works at C.C. Corp, so I've been learning the language for years now. Although… I'm going to college in Kyoto now, so maybe I'll see you around somewhere."

Atoli shrugged. "Well, maybe, although I don't live in Kyoto." She smiled. "But, who knows? Maybe we will." She turned to look down at Zefie, who had a rather impatient look on her face. She smiled. "So this is the mysterious Zefie who was mixed up in that incident three years ago. It's an honor to finally meet you."

Zefie grinned back. "The pleasure's mine. Any friend of Haruko's is a friend of mine, after all. But you don't have to be so formal with me. Actually, I get sorta nervous when people talk to me like that."

Haruko laughed. "That's true. She had to talk me out of calling her 'Zefie-sama' all the time. It took her nearly a week." Suddenly he sat up straight, listening to a sound the others couldn't hear. "Ah, geez, there's the alarm. Sorry, everyone, but I have to go. It's time for my kendo class, and Sensei gets furious if I'm late, especially over 'The World'. Atoli-san, you have my member address, so let me know if you want to hang out some time. I'd be happy to help you level up a bit, too, if you want." He sighed, and raised his sword. "Ah, man, and I wanted to give this a test run. Oh well. See you later, everyone!" Blue light filtered around him as he logged out.

A world away, a young man sighed as he pulled off his visor. "Oh boy," he mused, running a hand through his short brown hair. "Sensei's going to kill me. Again. I'd better get going." He grabbed a duffel bag and ran out the door.

He arrived at the dojo just as the elderly master did, panting with the effort. The master turned and frowned at him. "You're late again, Sora-kun. Are all Americans so… unpunctual?"

Sora shrugged. _At least he's still using my Japanese name. I hate it when people over here call me Michael._ "My apologies, Sakata-sensei," he said aloud, bowing. "I was… doing something else, and I lost track of time. I set an alarm, but it seems I didn't leave enough time."

"Then set it earlier next time, and don't play that infernal game so close to lesson time! Now go get changed, and be ready. We have a few challengers today."

Sora nodded, and ran inside, grabbing a shinai from the rack as he passed. A few minutes later, he was standing at the door, mask off and a smile on his face, to greet the challengers. Five tough-looking young men walked in, followed closely by a cute young girl. Sora blinked. "Hey, Akiko-chan. Is this your team, then?"

Akiko frowned. "Of course not. The others are good, but nowhere near ready to take on fighters from a real dojo like this one."

Sora grinned mischievously. "So it seems. So who are these guys, then?"

Akiko grinned. "They're from a dojo I visit sometimes. Although, I do wish Sakata-sensei would let me join this one. Come on, Sora-kun. Let's see if my rival has gained any skill since that last pitiful match."

Sora donned his mask with a flourish. "Hey, I had a cold that day. My reaction time was off. One point match all right?"

Akiko donned her mask and raised her shinai. "A warrior must train to overcome any hardship," she said in a stern voice. Sora chuckled. Dropping into a softer voice, she added, "Besides, I hadn't slept the night before, so we were even." She grinned. "Fun as 'The World' is, it can be troublesome sometimes. And one point's fine, so long as you're open to rematches." With a swift motion, she swung at Sora, who raised his sword horizontally to block.

Sora parried the next thrust and spun to attack her unguarded head. "So, you play too, huh? What's your username?" He paused in his speech, although his swing didn't slow down by even a fraction. "No, never mind. I shouldn't ask. And you know I'm always ready for a rematch."

Akiko managed to get her blade up just in time to block the thrust. She smiled. "Well, who knows, maybe we'll see each other in-game. But you're right; it's kind of cool, not knowing who the people you play with are in real life. Your worst enemy in the game might turn out to be your best friend in reality."

A sharp rap on both of their heads made them wince. "Stop your babbling and fight properly, you two! And stop talking about that accursed game in my dojo! Don't mention it again or I'll throw you both out!"

Sora groaned. "Sorry, Sakata-sensei. It won't happen again."

Akiko raised her blade to a straight ready position (the "seigan" stance). "Ready?" she said tensely.

Sora grinned, his blade horizontal ("wakigamae" stance). "Let's finish this." He blocked Akiko's first powerful, overhead slash, and retaliated with a quick chop to her right. She blocked, and the two students locked swords for a moment, glaring into each other's eyes with determination and, on Sora's part, amusement. With a quick motion, he forced Akiko's sword down and pivoted on one foot, spinning completely around with surprising speed and slamming the shinai home into Akiko's unguarded left. Sora smiled. "Gyakkudo," he said softly.

Sakata nodded in surprise. "That's a valid hit. Gyakkudo- reverse torso strike. Victory to Sora-kun."

Sora grinned and removed his mask, then bowed to Akiko. "Thanks, Akiko-chan. That was a fun match."

Akiko removed her mask and bowed in return. "Thanks. That technique at the end, it was amazing. I've never seen anyone move so fast."

Sora grinned. "Well, you were already trying to move me. All I had to do was let you do it, but the way I wanted to move."

Akiko blinked. "I see. So you used the force I was already exerting, added your own, and used that to spin around and strike before I could react."

Sora nodded. "Something like that, yes. I can't take all the credit, though. It's really just an adaptation of a manga move to real life."

Akiko's eyes widened. "Oh, I see. So that's the famous 'Ryukansen'. I'm impressed- it'd take a pretty smart guy to figure out how to do that move for real, just from looking at Kenshin."

Sora grinned, and then raised his shinai in one hand and pointed it at Akiko. "Well, now that you know all my secrets, want to try again?"

Akiko grinned and pulled on her mask with a quick, brusque motion. "Absolutely."


	3. AIDA

The next day, Haruko logged in and sat calmly by the Chaos Gate. He yawned. "Ah, this is going to be a great day. My paper's all done, the afternoon's clear, and there's nothing but time to spend here." He blinked as a short mail message appeared on his screen. "Huh? Oh, Henako-chan. I wonder what's up now."

He read the message and frowned. Quickly, he sent a reply. _Got it. Hang in there for just a bit longer._ He glanced around. "Blast it, where's Akiko-kun?" He opened his friends list, and then contacted both Akiko and Yuki. _Henako-chan was just attacked by an AIDA. I need you both to come with me and help fight it off._

Within moments, a pair of rings appeared, and Akiko and Yuki appeared in a shimmer of light. Haruko blinked at Akiko's new appearance. "Geez, Akiko-kun, you look like some kind of heroic knight or something. Like something out of the medieval ages, I mean."

Akiko grinned and flipped his long cape over one shoulder, revealing silvery armor beneath. "And you look like something out of a Shinsengumi manga. But come on, we'd better hurry. Who knows what kind of terrible things Morganna's up to now?"

Haruko nodded, and turned to the Chaos Gate. "Right. Luckily, Zefie-chan has no idea about any of this, and I want it to stay that way."

Yuki grinned. "Hey, of course. We've all sworn to protect her no matter the cost, right? So what's the area word?"

Haruko raised his katana. "Δ Sorrowing Marble's Phoenix. Luckily, it's a field and not a dungeon, or we'd have no hope of making it there in time." The three players vanished, blue spheres of light streaking into the Chaos Gate as the currents of the ancient Crest technology wafted them onward.

At the field, Haruko glanced around. "Good, there she is." He stared at the space above her. Enormous black dots flashed and moved in the sky. "And there _it_ is. Blast it, why'd it have to pick now to show up?" He glared over at Henako's companions. "And she's brought along some newbies; no doubt to help them level." He ground his teeth together. "Perfect timing, Morganna!" he shouted at the heavens. He sighed. "How could this get worse?" he moaned, as the three ran over to Henako's group.

Henako looked over as Haruko and the others arrived and grinned. "Hey guys! Isn't this exciting?"

Akiko keeled over anime-style in mid-run and slid several feet. "Are you kidding me? The three of you are in big trouble if that AIDA decides to attack!"

Henako shrugged. "Well, yes, it was dangerous at first, and very scary, but nothing's come through yet, and now you three are here, so there's nothing to worry about! Come on, we have the Guild Master and the three Unit Captains of the Twilight Guardians here now. Nobody gets by us!"

Haruko blinked. "She's got a point. And as long as it doesn't…" He broke off, staring. "Never mind. Here it comes; get ready, everyone!" He pulled out his blade and took up a ready stance.

Yuki stared as she drew out her staff. "Where? All I see is those black spots all over the place."

Haruko blinked. "Right there, in the middle of them. It's coming through…" He stared as the creature emerged entirely. "What the… what is that thing?" he shouted.

Akiko shrugged. "Still don't see anything. Are you all right?"

Haruko gestured to the AIDA frantically. "Don't you see it? That amorphous… thing, whatever it is?"

"Yeah, can't you, guys? It's right there," came a voice. Atoli ran back to Haruko's side, trembling at the sight. "It's like some horrible jellyfish… I hate jellyfish!"

Henako shrugged. "Well, I can't see anything either…"

Haruko blinked. "Atoli-san? You can see it too?" He sighed. "This is not good. What is going on?"

"It's hidden, except from those that have eyes to see it," came a soft voice. In a whirl of feathers, Zefie appeared next to them. "That type of AIDA… Morganna must have modeled it after the Avatars."

Haruko stared. "So only someone with an Avatar can see it. That makes sense, then." He blinked. _Wait… does that mean that Atoli-san has an Avatar as well?_

Atoli raised her hand. "Um, Zefie, I can see it too. But what's an Avatar?"

Zefie grinned. "It means that you have a mysterious power inside of you, Atoli. Haruko also has this power. You'll see for yourself, once you awaken it."

Haruko shrugged. "Except I still have virtually no control over it. And Atoli-san's probably hasn't even awakened yet. So what now, Zefie-chan?"

Zefie frowned and aimed a punch over his shoulder. "Idiot. Your weapons will damage an Avatar's barrier just like they would any monster. It's just that they won't do much because an Avatar is so strong."

Haruko nodded. "Right. Even for something like AIDA, there is no such thing as infinity. And Kite-sama fought off plenty of Data Bugs without an Avatar. But we can't fight what we can't see."

Zefie grinned. "Well, then, I'll just have to grant the others the power to see it, won't I?" She raised her hands. "Let their eyes be opened!" she intoned. Energy flared in her hands. Haruko grimaced and ducked as an evil glint flashed in Zefie's eyes.

A moment later, four giant boxing gloves shot out of Zefie's outstretched hands and smacked everyone square in the face, except for Haruko and Atoli. Haruko groaned. "Please tell me you only grazed them this time, Zefie-chan."

Zefie grinned. "Hey! Zefie's a good girl, remember?"

Haruko rolled his eyes. "Well… they'll be able to see the AIDA now, right?" He sighed. "Geez… you're Aura-sama's daughter, all right."

Henako blinked and stared upwards. "Oh. Okay, Kira, run fast and get out of here. Trust me, you don't want to be hit by this thing."

Kira, a black-garbed Edge Punisher, nodded and ran towards the platform. There was a flash of light as he vanished. Akiko drew out his new lance and grinned. "Finally, a chance to test my new skills in real combat."

Haruko frowned. "Keep your guard up, Akiko-kun. Zefie-chan said this thing has a powerful barrier." He sighed, concentrating hard. "Come on, work! Prisma!" he shouted. Nothing happened. Haruko cursed. "Why doesn't it ever work when we really need it to?" He stared angrily up at the creature above them. "And is there anything Morganna is not willing to mock? Honestly!" He charged the AIDA, and put a powerful slash across its middle. The enemy rippled under the force of the strike, but seemed undamaged. Only a small scratch across the barrier that covered it betrayed the fact that anything at all had happened. Haruko snorted. "A scratch, huh? Well, that's a start."

Yuki pivoted gracefully, then brought her grimoire down with a quick motion and shouted, "Vak Don!" A barrage of fireballs fell from the sky and impacted on the AIDA, leaving blackened patches where the barrier had been struck. She grinned smugly. "Ouch, I don't think he liked that." She turned to Haruko. "Say, why can't you just Data Drain it?"

Haruko shook his head. "First of all, I'm still a long way from being able to control the bracelet, and second, because of that barrier. It will reflect the attack, and all I'll manage to do is maybe cause some damage to the barrier itself." With a flash of light, he sheathed his katana and drew out his twin blades, whirling them around. "Sword Dance!" he yelled, as he spun around and delivered several swift strikes, followed by a powerful overhand attack.

Akiko shot past him, broadsword out and swinging furiously. The AIDA stood the beating for a few moments, then swung one long tendril and knocked him aside. Henako dashed to his side and began chanting a recovery spell. Haruko grit his teeth, and then launched another Sword Dance strike. Akiko rose and joined in. "Twin Moons!" he shouted, and swung his blade in two massive arcs. A long crack appeared in the barrier, and Haruko nodded in satisfaction.

Up above, energy began to flow into the head of the AIDA. Haruko saw this and yelped. "Akiko! Look out!" With no other option, he struck Akiko with a charged strike to knock him out of the way, and then swung his twin blades up just before a massive laser blast swept out from the enemy's head.

The force of the attack swept aside Haruko's guard easily and sent him flying backwards to land on his back in the grass. He groaned and sat up gingerly. "What was that?" he muttered.

A voice broke in on his thoughts. "Haruko-san! Are you all right?"

He looked up. "Atoli-san? Why are you still here? This is too dangerous… ugh!" He groaned and clutched his stomach.

Atoli knelt down besides him. "Repth!" she shouted, healing energy surging through her and into Haruko's body. Shakily, Haruko rose to his feet. At his side, Atoli quickly cast another Repth spell. As another tendril swept down at him, Haruko nimbly sidestepped it, and then with a flash, his katana swept through the air and cut it cleanly in two. He smiled grimly, rubbing at the corner of his mouth as if to wipe away something.

He turned to Atoli. "Don't worry, Atoli-san. I'll protect you."

Atoli blinked. "What were you doing to your face, Haruko-san?" She gasped. "Are you… in real life…?"

Haruko nodded grimly. "This is why AIDA is such a dangerous phenomenon. And why I was so worried about you. Because they are so far outside the game, they can influence even real life."

Henako nodded. "Think of it like 'The Matrix'- you know that old movie, right? If you hurt the player's mental self enough, it will manifest as real pain outside of the game."

Yuki giggled. "What is it with you and that movie, Henako? It was good, but it's still pretty weird."

Akiko rolled his eyes. "It's Henako, remember? She loves weird stuff, especially science-fiction stuff like that."

Haruko laughed, and then suddenly began coughing. "Blast it," he groaned, falling to one knee. "I must have taken more damage from that beam than I thought. If this is my limit, then we're in a lot of trouble." The AIDA quickly took advantage of this opportunity, thrusting one long tendril at him. He squeezed his eyes shut and braced for the attack.

It never came. Slowly, he opened his eyes, and saw a green blur. He blinked, and then suddenly understood. Blond hair brushed his face as he leapt to his feet. Atoli stood just in front of him, a grim smile on her face and a broken staff in her hands. The attack had hit her directly, and the tendril still stuck deep into her belly. She coughed. "I'm sorry… Haruko-san. I… couldn't block it," she said, as she wavered.

Something seemed to snap in Haruko's eyes. With one swift motion, he grabbed the tendril and ripped it out of the AIDA by the root. It withered and vanished into smoke. Unsupported, Atoli collapsed. Haruko managed to catch her, and then laid her gently on the ground. "Hang on, Atoli-san. I won't let it hurt you any more." He knelt by her side. "Repth," he whispered, healing to the best of his limited abilities. "What were you thinking, Atoli-san?" he murmured, as she raised herself unsteadily on hands and knees.

She smiled, and Haruko was struck suddenly by how cute she was. "If you're going to use an honorific, I'd prefer –chan. We're friends, aren't we?"

Haruko blinked. "Well… you're right, actually. But in exchange," he grinned, "You have to call me Haruko-kun, 'kay?"

A small hand fell on Haruko's shoulder. "Haruko, go on and finish it off. I'll make sure Atoli's all right." Zefie looked up at him. "Be careful. If your mind is clouded, you'll never be able to call it."

Haruko nodded, rising firmly to his feet. _My mind is clear. Only one thing remains: to summon my power. To protect my friends and annihilate the enemy- these two wishes together summons the Duality._ Raising one hand, he shouted, "Prisma!" As the magic began to swirl around Haruko, Zefie grinned. "Come on, Atoli," she giggled. "You asked about Avatars before, right? Well, here's your answer."

Grey wisps of magic were now swirling swiftly around Haruko. As Atoli raised her head wearily and watched, two figures flew out of the mist in opposite directions. They quickly resolved themselves into a regal young girl in a white robe and a feral boy in black armor.

The boy spoke first. "Yes! Finally, that idiot figured out how to release us again!"

The girl blinked, blowing a lock of blond hair out of her eyes. "Uh, Yami? 'That idiot' is the sum of you and me, you know. You just insulted yourself." She ran to Atoli's side, drawing out a long staff. As her hair blew in the wind, Atoli was surprised to note that her ears were pointed.

Atoli blinked as the elf-girl knelt beside her. "Um…"

The girl smiled. "I'm Hikari, and the barbarian over there is Yami. We're personifications of Haruko's light and dark side." She raised her staff and chanted something under her breath, pouring a powerful healing spell into Atoli.

Yami grinned, adjusting his gauntlets. "Guess which is which." He took up a fighting stance and glared up at the AIDA. "Huh. I think I'm annoyed with these stupid things, for once."

Hikari rolled her eyes. "Yami, we don't have much time here. Haruko was pretty badly hurt by that attack."

Yami nodded, black glyphs shimmering around him. "I know." He grinned wildly. "All right, come on then! Chaos!" He screamed the last word, as black energy suddenly surged around him.

Hikari grinned. "Don't miss this, Atoli. You haven't seen an Avatar transformation before, have you?"

As the energy surged around him, Yami rose slowly into the air. He grinned manically as a giant right arm crystallized itself around his, shortly followed by the other arm. Two legs, curled up in a ball, followed, and finally a leering horned skull appeared atop the creature. With a quick motion, he uncurled, and a surge of energy blew out from him. The form flickered, and for a moment, Yami appeared in his usual form, laughing insanely.

Everyone stared at this strange new titan. "So that's what it looks like," breathed Akiko.

Henako shrugged. "It looks pretty human- well, minus the black and red coloring, and the fangs, and whatnot…"

Yuki shook her head. "Too thin. This thing looks more like a skeleton than a human. And the arms are so long…"

Atoli stared. "It's like a demon…" she mused. "Is that what an Avatar is?"

Yami chuckled darkly, curling and uncurling clawed fingers. "Actually, my normal form is that of a demon. Chaos is an archfiend, my dear. I told you, I'm Haruko's dark side." He snapped two fingers together, and a small sphere of dark energy smashed into the AIDA. "Hah!" he shouted, clenching his fists and charging.

Hikari sighed. "Show-off," she muttered, kneeling. Her eyes closed, even as Chaos tore at the AIDA and was forced back by another beam strike. "Please, come to our aid… Archos!" she shouted.

As before, energy surged around her, though white this time. Feathers fell through the air as, with a bright flash, the Avatar crystallized itself around her. Atoli stared. "It's… beautiful…" was all she could manage to say.

Hikari laughed, the Avatar form flickering around her for a moment. "Thank you, Atoli." She stretched her wings, examining one slim arm and the silver bands that hung gently on it. The palm, similar to a human's but more delicate, shimmered with white light. "It feels good to be able to take on this form again," she mused, and then laid the hand gently on Atoli's brow and began to chant softly. "Haruko is strong-willed, but he's only managed to call on us once before." Atoli sighed as energy coursed softly through her, healing the damage the attack had done to her. "That really was foolish, you know." She thrust her other hand out, and the beam attack the AIDA had just fired at them reflected harmlessly off of a shimmering shield. "It takes incredible mental strength to be struck by AIDA and even remain conscious. You took a terrible risk."

Atoli giggled, rising slowly to her feet. "It's all right. Although this," she waved the broken head of her staff, "might be a problem."

Yami laughed. "You got off easy, you little idiot. You know people have gone into comas from being attacked by these things?"

Hikari sighed. "Ignore him, Atoli. He seems to take delight in upsetting people."

Atoli shrugged. "Dark side, right? So, what should I do now?"

Akiko flew past them as he charged the AIDA again. "Stay behind Hikari and keep safe. Yami's right; you're lucky you're not in a coma right now. We've already lost one good friend to these things. I don't want to see another get caught up in this."

Yuki twirled her staff, and then thrust it upwards. At her command, a tornado sprung out of the ground just below the AIDA, battering the damaged barrier. Henako joined in with a water spell of her own. New cracks appeared in the barrier, and Chaos tore gleefully at them with black claws. "Just a bit more…" he muttered.

Suddenly, both Chaos and Archos dissolved, leaving Yami and Hikari standing on the ground, looking puzzled. Then, a grey mist swirled around them both, and left behind only Haruko, lying flat on his back on the ground. "No…" he groaned.

Henako dashed to his side, closely followed by Atoli. "Are you alright?" they asked in unison.

Haruko tried to struggle to his feet, but fell heavily back down. "I… guess I've hit my limit. I'm sorry… everyone." He turned to Zefie. "Especially you, Zefie-chan. The whole reason… I'm here… is to protect you and Aura-sama. And I couldn't… even do that." He broke off, breathing heavily.

Akiko and Yuki joined the others at Haruko's side. "You idiot," muttered Akiko. "You're always trying to do too much. I thought you considered me- all of us- to be your equals. So why won't you let any of us take on the pain you do?"

Haruko grinned, and struggled up again. Leaning on his sword, he managed to sit up. "You're my equals… but you're also my friends." he panted. "I can't stand to see my friends in pain. It's just… my nature." He smiled grimly as he got to his feet. "Well then… let's finish this thing off together. I didn't buy all those scrolls for nothing, you know." He raised his hand, shimmering with magic. "One last good strike… should finish off that barrier."

Yuki nodded. "I'll start. Vak Don!" Fireballs fell from the sky.

"Rue Kruz!" called Henako. Water gushed up to meet the flames.

"Gan Bolg!" shouted Akiko. Rocks rose up from the ground and then crashed down again.

Haruko gripped his blade and focused. "Zan Rom!" he shouted. A whirlwind sprang up, whirling the other three spells along with it into a powerful strike.

Under the onslaught of the four elements, the AIDA let out a loud shriek as its barrier exploded into a thousand glass shards. An icon reading "Protect Break OK!" appeared. Haruko grinned fiercely. "Focus, Haruko," came a whispered voice in his ear. He nodded. "I know," he whispered back, as the Twilight Bracelet began to shine golden. "Data… Drain!" he shouted.

Golden light shone from his hand, and as he thrust it forward, an orb of shining energy stabbed out and struck at the heart of the AIDA. A terrible screech rang out as streams of data burst out of it and flowed into Haruko's right hand. He grinned grimly. "You lose this round, Morganna," he whispered, as a great gleaming orb flew out of the creature. "This is the power of the Twilight that you fear so much." He caught the orb deftly and crushed it, and the AIDA dissolved into smoke like the end of a terrible nightmare. He smiled softly, then fell back and blacked out.


	4. Moon Tree

When, after what seemed like a very short while, he opened his eyes again, they were momentarily obscured by an enormous quantity of blonde hair. Atoli, sensing him stirring, had thrown her arms around his neck in a wild embrace. He spluttered, and Atoli giggled and stepped back. He smiled. "Hey…"

Zefie whacked him over the head with one fist. "Idiot. Gaijin knight. How many times do you think you'll pull off a miracle like that?"

Haruko shrugged. "Oh, I don't think it will take more than four or five." Zefie glared at him, but remained silent.

Atoli knelt beside him. "Are you all right now, Haruko-kun?"

He chuckled. "Of course, Atoli-chan. So, how long was I out, anyway?"

Henako shrugged. "Half an hour, maybe. I was just starting to get worried."

Yuki groaned, and bounced a well-placed strike off her head, knocking her hat off in the process. "You were the most worried of us all, Henako! Running around, suggesting this, that, and the other medicinal herb, all manner of quack remedies… does the girl never stop reading up about weird and potentially dangerous stuff?"

Akiko shrugged. "Well, this _is_ Henako we're talking about." He extended a hand and helped Haruko to his feet. "_Okaeri_, Chief."

Haruko gave him a thumbs-up. "_Tadaima_," he responded simply.

"Oh, please. What is it with all you saps, anyway?" a thin, cruel voice cut in. Zefie scowled and vanished, as a lanky Tribal Grappler walked up, a smug look on his pale face.

Akiko's eyes narrowed. "Negimaru. Now what would one of Bordeaux's lap dogs be doing running around on his own?"

Negimaru chuckled, drawing out his blades. "Hunting noobs, of course. What did you expect?"

Haruko glared at him. "Thin ice, Negimaru-san. Very thin ice."

Negimaru snorted. "Yeah, right. I saw your little fainting spell there. I don't know what's going on, but you're in no condition to do anything to me right now."

Akiko tightened his grip on his lance. "Who says Haruko would be the one carrying out that threat?"

Negimaru glanced at the furious Akiko. "You? Hah. Beasts should learn their place, you pompous fool."

Haruko's eyes flared. "Beast players have no 'place', Negimaru-san, unless you mean to say that their place is right here among the rest of the players. Now, player killing scum like you… Crap, I can't think of anything witty. Henako-chan, could you help me, please?"

Henako took a deep breath, and tilted her head back so she could look down her nose at Negimaru. "Ordinary players like us, Negimaru, and everyone else in 'The World', are above Kestrel scum like you in much the same way that the sky is above the clouds," she said in an official-sounding voice.

Haruko blinked. "Hey, Douglas Adams. I love those books."

Negimaru grumbled inarticulately. Then he caught sight of Atoli and leered at her. "Well, what a cute little noob friend you've picked up, Haruko. And what's this pretty little thing's name?"

Atoli gulped and backed away. Haruko placed himself between her and Negimaru and glared. Negimaru met his gaze for only a moment before looking away. "Third time pays for all, Negimaru-san," Haruko intoned quietly. "Leave now."

Negimaru snorted and turned away. "Whatever. It's not worth my time to pick on a wussy magic user like that. And look at her character design! I'd make myself look bad if I PKed a little wimp like that." Suddenly, he whirled and charged Atoli. "But, what the heck, I don't care what anyone _here_ thinks of me!"

There was a sudden flash of light, and Negimaru flew through the air for about fifteen feet. Haruko stood directly in front of Atoli, his sword out and blazing with a silvery aura. "You filth…" he spat. "How dare you insult my friends, and then attack Atoli-chan like that?" He charged at Negimaru again as he bounced off the ground. "Take this!" he shouted.

Atoli dashed up besides him, and grabbed his arm. "No, stop it!" she cried. "I'm fine, he didn't get me."

Haruko stared at her. "But… what are you saying, Atoli-chan? He just tried to PK you!"

Atoli shook her head. "So? Now you're going to PK him back, is that it? How does that solve anything?"

Haruko whistled. _She really is kinda like Hotaru-chan._ "Well, I think that settles the guild problem, Atoli-chan."

Negimaru sat up and laughed. "Yeah, go join those stupid little hippies from Moon Tree, 'Atoli-chan'! Hah!"

Haruko glared down at him. "Keep quiet, or I'll really give you something to wince about."

Atoli grabbed his arm tighter. "Stop, Haruko-kun! I don't want to see any more of this!"

Haruko glared down at Negimaru for a long moment, and then sighed. He turned to Atoli, a smile growing on his face. "Okay then, Atoli-chan. For your sake, I'll let him be this time." He gently slid his arm out of her grip, and put his hand on her shoulder. "The guys in Moon Tree are a good bunch, and they think like you do. And I won't deny that their ways can work sometimes."

Akiko sighed. "Problem is, more often than not these days, people like Negimaru can't be persuaded to stop doing whatever they please, no matter what the cost to others." He pounded his fist into his open palm. "They're ruining the game for all the decent people who want to play!"

Atoli looked up at Haruko. "So you're a PKK then, Haruko-kun?"

Haruko smiled. "Please don't think less of me because of it, but yeah, I am. Most of the people in our guild are. We don't just go around looking for fights, though. What we do is keep our eyes open, and when we see someone trying to PK someone, we go in and stop them- and not necessarily kill them, mind you- and heal whoever they were attacking. That's how a PKK should operate. Not like those bounty hunters who run amok. We're guardians, not destroyers."

Henako giggled. "And yet you still manage to get more PKs than most of them."

Haruko snorted. "Except Haseo-dono, of course. But then again, nobody can compare to someone as insanely driven as that."

Atoli nodded. "I understand, but still…"

Haruko grinned. "It's all right, Atoli-chan. You're just kind, that's all. There's nothing wrong with that. It just means you're more suited to something like Moon Tree than a PKK guild like ours. Besides, that's one of the things I like about you."

He turned to Negimaru, and tossed a small item to him. "You're off the hook today, Negimaru-san. You should thank Atoli-chan; you would have been finished if she hadn't stopped me," he said in an amiable tone. "Go work off some of that anger in the Arena or something. That's what it's there for. Come to think of it, we'll be there later too. The tournament is going to start today, after all."

Negimaru snorted and popped the cork on the Health Drink. "Bordeaux and I will be there too, naturally. And you'll understand if I don't thank you." He drained the flask in one swig.

Haruko shrugged. "We'll beat you and claim the Demon Emperor title yet. And I was the one who hit you in the first place, so actually I do understand. But I see no reason for you not to thank Atoli-chan for calling me off."

Negimaru sneered at the two of them. "Fine, then. _Thanks_, little Atoli," he said, sarcasm heavy in his voice. He turned and dashed off towards the platform.

Haruko sighed. "He's so disagreeable, eh Atoli-chan? Anyway, Henako-chan, Akiko-kun, and I are going to fight in the arena tournament later on, but we've got some time before that. I'll see if Zelkova-sama is around. He's the guild master of Moon Tree, so you should meet him. I think you'll find it a good fit."

Atoli nodded. "Well, yes, I think so too. Moon Tree was one of the guilds that Henako told me about when she was showing me around earlier. They sound like a nice group."

Haruko lit up. "Great! Now, let's see… looks like Zelkova-sama is online, and not busy. So far, so good… now let's see what he's up to." He stood silently for a while as short mail messages flew back and forth between him and Zelkova.

After a minute or two, he smiled and turned to Atoli. "Turns out, he's at the Moon Tree headquarters. He says he'd be delighted to meet a new recruit. I have a key that will let us in, so meet me back at Mac Anu's Chaos Gate, and I'll switch you into my party. Then we can go meet Zelkova-sama." He waved and ran off towards the platform.

Just as he was preparing to warp back to the Root Town, however, Atoli ran up behind him. Haruko blinked. "What's up? Don't feel like finishing the field with the others?"

Atoli shook her head. "No. After everything that's happened…"

Haruko smiled at her. "It's all right, Atoli-chan."

She looked up at him. Haruko was shocked to see that tears were starting in the corner of her eyes. "But… how can you keep doing things like that? That monster… you could have gotten yourself killed, Haruko-kun! And not just your character- you could have really died!"

Haruko blinked. "Oh, that's what you're worried about. Well, yes, it's dangerous. I know that. But somebody's going to have to do it. In every version of 'The World', things like this have happened. And every time, the players have rallied and fought it off."

Atoli blinked back tears. "But why does it have to be you? Do you have any idea how worried I was for those thirty minutes you were unconscious for?"

Haruko shrugged, a sad smile on his face. "To be honest, I was a lot more worried about you than me. I'm honestly surprised you were still conscious after you took that hit for me." The smile faded. "No matter how hard I train, I still can't keep innocents safe," he muttered. "Even now, I'm no good. Maybe Zefie-chan should have chosen a different bearer for the bracelet."

Atoli grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. "Don't say that! You beat it, didn't you?"

Haruko shook his head. "It almost cost me everything to do it, though. And what's worse, you almost ended up like so many others have in the past. If I can barely manage to defeat the least of Morganna's minions, what good am I to anyone here?"

A loud, sharp noise split the air, and Haruko stepped back, rubbing his cheek where Atoli had slapped him. "Snap out of it, Haruko-kun!" she said. She was crying openly now. "You can't beat yourself up like that!"

Haruko blinked. "But…"

Atoli shook her head violently. Teardrops flew through the air like rain. "No! If you don't think you're strong enough, then keep fighting! Get stronger! Keep belittling yourself like this, and you really will be as weak as you keep claiming." She sank to her knees.

Haruko knelt down beside her, a smile creeping slowly onto his face. "You know something, Atoli-chan? You're absolutely right." He put a hand on her shoulder. "This is going to get me nowhere. If I'm not strong enough, I just have to make sure that I'm stronger next time, right?"

Atoli looked up, smiling. "Yeah!"

Haruko grinned. "Feel better now?" Atoli nodded. "Well, let's go meet Zelkova-sama. Talking to him is a great way to make yourself feel better." He raised his arm, and the two vanished in a whirl of energy.

A while later, they arrived at the throne room, far into Moon Tree's headquarters. Haruko walked forward and looked around. "Huh. That's strange; Zelkova-sama said he would be here. Now where could he have…?" He whirled around suddenly, swinging twin blades up just in time to block the blur of motion that had charged at him.

The attacker, a smiling young man, tightened his grip on his scythe and whirled around again. Haruko darted in, blocked the haft of the scythe with one blade, and swung up the other. It halted just in front of his attacker's throat.

Haruko smiled. "Zelkova-sama, good to see you again. You've got to stop trying to catch me off guard like that, though. It isn't going to work, and quite frankly it's getting a bit predictable."

Zelkova chuckled. "Always swift as the wind, aren't you, Haruko?" he said. "But, you know, it's so much fun, even if there's no chance of me getting you." He turned to Atoli. "Ah, so this is the new recruit you mentioned? Atoli, right? Pleased to meet you."

Atoli nodded. "So you're Zelkova. It's nice to meet you too." She came closer, looking at Zelkova for the first time. He was fairly short, and looked like he was about twelve years old. He wore a simple, formal-looking white outfit. His hair was blue, and from each temple sprouted… She blinked. "Um, what are those on your head?"

Haruko laughed. "Horns, actually. Nobody's really sure where he got them, but it doesn't really matter that much."

Zelkova shrugged, grinning. "So, Atoli, do you know much about Moon Tree?"

Atoli shrugged. "Only what Henako told me when she was talking about the main guilds. It's basically devoted to helping other players enjoy 'The World' more fully, right?"

Zelkova nodded. "You got it. We're divided into seven units, and we focus on helping out the victims of PK, fraud, and things like that. We also focus on nonviolent ways of dealing with rogue elements, like Kestrel guild members, although we're not afraid to fight back if attacked. We've accomplished a lot in the few months since we've began, and already our guild level has risen to the maximum possible."

Haruko chuckled. "Which is why Moon Tree gets an entire field to itself for a headquarters; whereas we Twilight Guardians have to deal with the usual tiny Home space."

Zelkova shrugged. "Your own fault for not having a big guild. I know you devote a lot of time to boosting your guild rank, Haruko, but even the most devoted of Guild Masters can't do much if the guild is small. In any case, though, soon enough you'll have access to a Dol Dona Home. Your space will get bigger then. I wish C.C. Corp had kept Dun Loireag, the old Theta server root town, though."

Haruko shrugged. "Oh, well. C.C. Corp would never let us have a field for headquarters anyway. We're too deeply involved with bizarre events for them to trust us with a place like this, or like the Kestrel HQ. And no guild with a master tied even remotely to the Twilight incident seven years ago would ever advance far. Kestrel, on the other hand…" He snorted derisively.

Atoli shuddered. "Kestrel… that's the guild Negimaru was from, right?"

Zelkova groaned. "Oh no, has he been giving you trouble again, Haruko? Honestly, sometimes I wonder if anything can get through to him."

Haruko shrugged and switched to private chat so that Atoli couldn't hear. "Well, sometimes, that's when you need a PKK on your side. I respect your philosophy and all, Zelkova-sama, and I've seen firsthand how effective it can be sometimes. But people like the Kestrel members, who couldn't care less, and the Blacklist members… honestly, sometimes I wonder if even Sakaki-san can stop them."

Zelkova bristled slightly at the sound of the name. "Sakaki… right."

Haruko caught his eye. "I don't trust the man either, to be honest, but even a rogue element like Bordeaux knows not to start something in front of him. Come to think of it, she knows better than to start something in front of you, too."

Zelkova shrugged. "Well, Atoli," he said out loud, "Haruko has told me a bit about you, and I agree with him that Moon Tree would be a good fit. But I want to make sure you agree too. Do you have some free time? I'd like to show you around, along with Kaede, and have you meet some of the other members who are around."

Atoli smiled. "Sure! That would be fun!"

Haruko chuckled. "Well, unfortunately I've heard just about all the stories that Zelkova-sama and the others have to tell, so I'll take my leave now. I'll see you around, okay Atoli-chan? And Zelkova-sama, tell Kaede-san I said hi, okay?" He walked off through the headquarters.

At the end, a tall, middle-aged man in a samurai costume stood calmly by one of the pillars. Haruko stiffened. "Sakaki-san. How… _nice_ to see you again."

Sakaki smiled. "Why such anger, Haruko? That _is_ Haruko, isn't it? I like the new form- it suits you well."

Haruko snorted. "And yours doesn't suit you at all. There is no blade in your soul; that much is clear to me."

Sakaki's eyes narrowed. "If you're trying to pick a fight, forget it. You know perfectly well that I never attack unless attacked first."

Haruko's eyes narrowed to match his. "You and I both know what I'm talking about, Sakaki-san. Zelkova-sama is a good friend of mine, and if you try anything… underhanded… well, having me to deal with will be far from the least of your problems, I assure you."

Sakaki smiled, running a hand through his green hair. "Oh, I assure you I have no such plans, Haruko. I intend always to work under Master Zelkova until he decides to retire as guild master."

Haruko snorted. "Yeah, right. Sneaky dealings don't slip past Henako-chan and her Second Unit. I'm keeping a watchful eye on you, Sakaki-san." He raised his arm. "Oh, and one more thing. A new friend of mine, Atoli-chan, is thinking about joining Moon Tree. Zelkova-sama is giving her the tour as we speak. And the last thing I want is for her to get involved in a power struggle. See to it that that doesn't happen, or else." He vanished in a flurry of blue sparks.

Sakaki smiled coolly at the vanishing figure. "I wouldn't dream of it," he said softly.

Behind him, Zelkova and Atoli warped in. "Oh… Sakaki! Atoli, this is the commander of Second Unit, Sakaki."

Sakaki turned around, a warm smile on his face. "Ah, Atoli. Haruko mentioned you were thinking about joining Moon Tree as he passed." He spread his arms wide. "I would gladly welcome you into my unit. Let us help heal the pain of this world together."

Atoli blushed slightly. "Um… Yes, let's."

Behind her, Zelkova shot a glare at Sakaki. Sakaki simply smiled. "Unfortunately, I must be off at the moment. Matsu and I have to defend the honor of our guild in the arena."

Atoli blinked. "Oh, that's right! Haruko-kun said he was going to fight there too. That's today, right?"

Sakaki nodded. "Yes. He shouldn't have any trouble, though. Against those dishonorable rogues from Kestrel, his team should easily win."

Atoli shook her head. "I hope so. He looked kind of shaky when he left."

Sakaki frowned. "How so? After all, what sort of force could affect a player?"

Atoli blinked. "Um… well… he said it was like during the Twilight incident."

Zelkova's eyes narrowed. "Oh boy. Has he been playing with things that are too big for him again?"

Atoli nodded wordlessly. Behind her back, a strange, almost triumphant look stole across Sakaki's face. As Atoli turned back to him, it was replaced by a frown. "These are distressing tidings. If such evil forces are once again running amok in 'The World', then we of Moon Tree must take up arms against it. Atoli, will you fight alongside us?"

Atoli looked at Sakaki. The young Blade Brandier seemed to exude confidence and power. She nodded firmly. "Yes, Sakaki. I'll join Moon Tree, and fight alongside you."

Author's Notes: _Okaerinasai_ (sometimes shortened to _okaeri_ among friends) and _tadaima_ form the two halves of a traditional exchange among Japanese speakers. It translates basically to "Welcome back/home" and "I'm back", and is often used in situations like this (for example, Tifa and Cloud say it at the end of Advent Children.)

Hotaru, for the large percentage of .hack fans that steered way clear of that particular story, is a character from .hack//Legend of the Twilight. She is NOT the same person as Atoli, however; Atoli did not play "The World" until the advent of R:2.

And I know that Atoli and Sakaki knew each other before either of them joined "The World", but she doesn't find out it's him until later. (As with most problems like this, it'll be addressed later in the text.)


	5. Arena, Round 1

Later on that day, Haruko, Henako, and Akiko sat in the Arena's antechamber, preparing for their match. Haruko leaned against the wall and sighed.

Akiko was instantly alert. "All right, Haruko?"

Haruko waved one hand, a bit dismissively. "I'm fine, Akiko-kun. Besides, it's just Bordeaux and her idiot comrades. No problem. We should focus on Negimaru first, though- Grein is too slow to be an effective healer, and Bordeaux would never bother with a Repth scroll. If we get Negimaru, their healing abilities are done for."

Henako nodded. "Right. I'll play support, as usual."

"Don't be afraid to use attack magic, though," added Akiko. "And keep a watchful eye out. A healer is the most vulnerable part of a team, and they'll be sure to try and take you out first."

Haruko shrugged. "Well, Negimaru is the sort of person who'd hold a grudge from earlier this afternoon, so he will likely attack me at the beginning. Use that to your advantage."

Up above, the announcer began his usual pre-battle rant. Akiko grinned and clenched his fists. "Looks like that's our cue. Let's go, everyone!"

Haruko nodded. "The first step. Let's go make that title of Emperor ours!"

Out on the arena floor, Haruko's team warped in atop one of the two pedestals that flanked the central floor. Up above, the announcer began to speak again. "And now, the enigmatic Team Haruko…" Haruko rolled his eyes. "Also known as the Twilight Riders! In their first assault on the Demon Palace, they fought their way to the finals before a brutal defeat by Team Sakaki. Will they be able to reclaim their lost honor, even with two Adept Rogues on their team? Let's watch and find out!"

Haruko rolled his eyes again. "Well, we _could_ watch, if you didn't spend all our time praising both teams as if they were hand-picked by Folset himself," he muttered. Henako giggled softly.

Meanwhile, on the opposite pedestal, the other team warped in, to more enthusiastic shouts from the announcer. "Now, the team whose name has become a household word in the arena- Kestrel's 'Only 1 Target'! Led by the beautiful and deadly Bordeaux, this team has sliced its way to the top of the arena ranks within a matter of weeks! Will even the famed Twilight Riders be enough to stop them? Or will they force their way through on their way to their true target?"

Both teams warped down to the arena floor, to many cheers from the onlookers. Bordeaux sneered. "Still going with a pair of Rogues, huh? You'll never win like that."

Haruko sighed. "Yes, yes, we've all heard it before. But you know what? Us having two or three weapons only means that we have to train our skill level twice as hard as you. And such a feat is easy for someone with enough dedication."

Bordeaux turned her attention to his companions. "And I see your teammates have the same bad taste in fashion that you do."

A weird look passed over Haruko's face, half sneer and half scowl. "Hey, Bordeaux? You know, that look was good on BlackRose-sama, and it was cute when Mimiru-chan and Rena-chan wore it. But you know what? The effect is wasted when you wear it. If you're trying to look sexy, you're going about it all wrong."

A vein pulsed in Bordeaux's temple. "Watch what you say, boy. You don't want to make enemies of Kestrel."

Haruko rolled his eyes. "Like someone in Kestrel hasn't already put out a bounty on my head? You guys are almost as scared of Akiko-kun and me as you are of the 'Terror of Death'."

Bordeaux scowled. Up above, the announcer began talking again. "Wow, look at that, folks! It looks like they're already going at it!"

Haruko smirked and twirled his twin blades. "Let's go, shall we? Before our friend up in the announcer's box has a heart attack from all this excitement." Both sides charged.

Barely a minute later, Haruko turned sharply on his heel and sheathed the twin blades. "Disappointing…" he muttered, in an uncanny imitation of Endrance, as he and his team warped out.

The arena they left behind had long ago lapsed into stunned silence. The announcer gulped like a dying goldfish. "I… I don't believe it! Less than sixty seconds after the first strike, the match… the match is… over, ladies and gentlemen! The winner is Team Haruko!" Stunned cheers began to break out through the arena. Bordeaux swore loudly and warped out with Grein. Negimaru glanced around, realized he was alone, and yelped. "Hey, wait for me!" he called, and warped out as well.

Meanwhile, Akiko and Henako were celebrating outside the Arena. "We did it; the first round's done with!" Henako cheered.

Haruko sighed. "Too easy. I hate it when fights are so ridiculously uneven."

Akiko shrugged. "Well, you'll get it in the next fight for sure. I just checked the rankings, and we're up against…"

"Me," a voice cut in. Sakaki walked up to the three, smiling. "We of Moon Tree will be your next opponents. Prepare for a repeat of the last tournament's downfall, Haruko of the Twilight Guardians."

Akiko snorted. "We're a thousand times stronger now, Sakaki."

Haruko rolled his eyes. "Don't be so boastful, Akiko-kun."

Sakaki smirked. "Indeed. Wouldn't want you to feel foolish when we crush you."

Henako wrinkled her nose. "You and what army, Sakaki?"

"This one, little girl!" came a wild voice. A wild-looking, red-haired youth came running up. "Me! The new leader of 7th Unit, Matsu!"

Haruko grinned. "All right! If you're in this fight, Matsu-san, then we'll really have a fight to remember!" He paused. "But… do me a favor, okay? I want you to fight me with your full strength. No holding back."

Matsu grinned and drew out a red broadsword. "You mean… this? Very well. If you insist, I'll unseal my ultimate weapon against you."

Haruko nodded. "Thank you, Matsu-san. So, who's your third member?"

Sakaki shrugged. "Well, I was hoping… ah, she's here. I'll ask her now."

Atoli ran up, smiling broadly. "Haruko-kun! I was watching; you were amazing!"

Haruko's eyes became dangerously narrow. Switching to personal chat for a moment, he muttered. "I hope you don't mean her, Sakaki-san… for your own sake."

Atoli blinked. "Haruko-kun?"

Sakaki smiled. "Ah, Atoli. I was hoping to see you here. I was wondering if you would do me the honor of being the third member of my Arena team."

Atoli blanched. "Fight? In the Arena, and against Haruko-kun? I…"

Sakaki blinked. "What's wrong, Atoli? Surely you realize it's just all in good fun. I'm sure Haruko won't think any different of you because of it."

Haruko grinned, his face returning to its usual jovial self. "Well, that's true. If you want to fight, I won't stop you. Still…" He shrugged. "I just can't see you in a place like this, Atoli-chan. Not just yet, anyway. I'm here for love of the fight, but there are a lot of people here, like Bordeaux, who come for love of the kill. I would like to keep you safe from people like that, at least a while longer, until you're strong enough to face them."

Atoli nodded. "Well… I just can't understand why people like it. I mean, it's nice to win, I guess, but I do know it hurts to lose. Why would anyone want to have fun by making others feel that way?"

Haruko stared. "Atoli-chan…"

Atoli shook her head. "I'm sorry, Sakaki. I can't do it."

Sakaki scratched his head for a moment, and then smiled. "It's all right, Atoli. I'll just ask Hiiragi, then. Even if he's not a Harvest Cleric, he does have some healing skills, and combined with my own, we should be able to handle it."

Akiko made a face. "Hiiragi? That… _flamboyant_ Macabre Dancer that leads 5th Unit?"

Haruko laughed. "That's the one. Watch your back around him, though. He... wait, doesn't Hiiragi-san like to be called 'she'? Anyway, Hiiragi-san's spells are pretty devastating."

Henako shuddered. "You don't have to tell me twice. Her spells sunk us last time around, and she'll only have improved since then. We'll have to deal with her first."

Sakaki smirked. "If you can, anyway. Well, I'll see you three at the next round. Come, Matsu. Let's go report to Lord Zelkova." The two nodded to each other and gated out.

Atoli sighed. "Why _do_ you like the Arena so much, anyway? Lord Zelkova told me that you three come here a lot."

Haruko shrugged. "Well, maybe it's not your way, but there's a lot of fun to be had from a good fight. It's not really about beating the opponent- well, it is, but it's not about beating the opponent into the ground. There's no fun in a battle like that."

Akiko grinned. "Yeah. The best fights are close, drawn out, and a difficult victory. To be able to win against a powerful opponent, in spite of everything, is an amazing feeling."

Atoli blinked. "Yes, but the people who lose…"

Haruko shrugged. "That's part of the Arena. But really, in a good fight even the loser is respected for putting up such a tough fight. It's kind of like my rivalry with Akiko-kun. Every so often, we'll drop everything and try to defeat each other- not because either wants to kill the other, but because we want to test our strength against each other. We grow stronger together by constantly pushing ourselves. To lose in a battle, whether in a rivalry or in the Arena, is less of a defeat than a challenge to get stronger. That's why we fight."

Atoli seemed lost in thought for a moment, her head lowered. Then, she raised her head and smiled. "I think I get it now. Your fighting is how you show your friendship." She tilted her head. "I'm not sure I completely understand it, but…"

Haruko grinned. "I don't totally understand it myself, either. All you really need to understand, though, is that we're not trying to hurt anyone. Winning and losing are all part of the Arena." He paused. "So… you called him 'Lord Zelkova' just now. Does that mean you're officially in Moon Tree?"

Atoli nodded. "Yes. I finished joining up just before the match started, and then Lord Zelkova and Kaede invited me along to watch. They're both so nice. And you're so strong…" She smiled. "It really was amazing to watch."

Haruko shrugged. "Too strong, this time around. As I said, battles with such a large gap in power are no fun at all."

Atoli nodded. "Even so, it was nice to watch. You're amazing when you fight."

Haruko smiled sadly. "I have to be that strong. We all have to, because of what we're fighting." He sighed. "It's getting really late here… I'm going to log out for the night. I'll see you around, everyone. Atoli-chan, let me know if you want to do something together."

Atoli smiled. "Right. I'll definitely give a shout if I see you online."

Akiko snorted. "Shirking your duties again, eh Haruko?"

Haruko grinned impishly at him. "Of course not. But that doesn't mean I can't make time for my friends, or to just relax and take in the spectacle that is 'The World'. If I don't, I might forget just what it is I'm fighting for. And that would never do." He chuckled and logged out.


	6. Atoli

A few days later, an email message arrived from Atoli.

_Haruko-kun, I have something I want to talk to you about. Could you come to ∆ Hidden Forbidden Waterfall? You can bring Henako and Akiko, if you want._

_-Atoli_

Haruko logged in immediately, and with Henako and Akiko, warped to the mysterious Lost Ground, Arche Koeln. Above a wide pool rose a high stone walkway, on which the players stood. At the pool's edge, an ancient temple rose, shrouded by a massive waterfall. Another Tri-Edge sign scarred the walkway halfway through.

Haruko looked up at Atoli gated in. "So, what's up, Atoli-chan? What did you want to talk about?"

Atoli sighed. "Well, first… Haruko-kun, why are you so mean to Sakaki? He's such a nice person. I've been with him for a while now, and he's been nothing but kind to me." She paused. "Actually… I met him before I started playing 'The World'. He… helped me out a lot back when I was in middle school." She smiled. "Actually, he's the one who got me to play. It was a really nice surprise to find out that he was in Moon Tree as well." She lowered her eyes. "So… why are you two like that with each other?"

Haruko's eyes narrowed. "I don't trust him, that's all. And… well, let's just say he's no saint."

Atoli shook her head. "I don't get it. Sakaki's a wonderful person! He's so strong, and he's dedicated himself to protecting 'The World', and…"

Haruko snorted. "And to claiming Zelkova's place as Guild Master, too."

Atoli blinked. "Lord Zelkova? Sakaki would never do anything to hurt him. How could anyone do anything to hurt a nice person like him?"

Henako sighed. "It's not just the rumors that he's planning to take over the guild- though I've checked those thoroughly. He just has never seemed a trustworthy person to me."

Haruko nodded. "Yeah, he strikes me as even less trustworthy than Gin Ichimaru- you know, from the anime Bleach? Snake-like guy, never opens his eyes, creepy demeanor? And he's manipulative as… well, he loves to manipulate people like a giant chess game. That's how he's always struck me. But, maybe you see something in him we don't." He smiled. "I really would love for that to be the case. Just keep an eye out, okay? I don't want you to get caught in the crossfire if there ends up being a guild war."

Atoli bowed her head. "Th… thank you, Haruko-kun. I know you're just concerned for me. But I trust Sakaki. I've even joined Second Unit, under him." She raised her head, a strange look in her eyes. "You have to understand… when I mentioned that monster you faced, he didn't even think of running away. He said, he said he would fight anything that threatened this place…"

Haruko blanched. "You _told_ him about it? Atoli-chan…"

Atoli blinked. "Was it supposed to be secret? I'm sorry…" She bowed her head again.

Haruko sighed. "Never mind. Of course you would have told others, so that everyone could fight against AIDA together. We all want a 'World' like that- Canard, Moon Tree, and the Twilight Guardians. All of us are trying to bring back that 'World'."

He put a hand on Atoli's shoulder, and she looked up at him. "Haruko-kun…"

Haruko smiled slightly. "But you have to keep this a secret, okay? Ordinary players would panic and leave the game for good, and C.C. Corp has an awful track record where bizarre stuff is concerned. They might even shut down the game- and then we'd lose Zefie-chan and Aura-sama too." His smile became so wide that it forced his eyes closed. "Don't worry. We're not alone in the fight. We just need to make sure that those that do join the fight are strong enough."

Atoli nodded. "Right. Of course, I should have thought about that."

Akiko grunted, his arms crossed. "The things we do can only be done in secret. We're not in this for glory; we're in it for 'The World'. Just keep this in mind, though- what we do is dangerous, but we've trained for it. Someone like Sakaki, or yourself, who isn't fully prepared could easily fall victim to AIDA. There are already several 'Lost Ones' who have fallen into comatose states because of it. And if the secret spreads, people will recklessly throw themselves into battle- and into the ranks of the Lost Ones. Do you really want to get others involved?"

Atoli gulped, suddenly pale. "Of… of course not!"

Haruko glared at Akiko. "Don't be harsh with her, Akiko-kun. She wasn't thinking about that when she told Sakaki-san."

Atoli blinked back tears. "No, I wasn't. I'm such an idiot…"

Haruko shook his head. "No, you're not. I'm the idiot, for getting you involved in all of this. Listen, though, you should try to forget about all of this. You asked me why it has to be us that fight. Well, it's because we're the only ones who can. But you're not ready to fight alongside us. You'll only get hurt again, and next time you might not pull through."

Atoli quivered for a moment, then collapsed against Haruko, sobbing. "Forget? How can I forget about all of this? After all, _you_ almost became one of the Lost Ones!"

Haruko stood still, stunned for a moment. Then, gently, he put his arms around Atoli and held her as she cried. Akiko and Henako exchanged looks and gated out. "Oh, Atoli-chan," Haruko said softly. "It's all right. I'm not going anywhere."

Atoli sobbed. "But… how can you be sure? Sakaki… we found a field where someone had mentioned seeing black dots, and…"

Haruko's eyes widened. "You don't mean…?"

Atoli shook her head, and stood up again. "We were lucky. I shielded Sakaki, like I did for you…"

Haruko's face went white. "Again? Atoli-chan… that's really dangerous. I don't want to lose you to that darkness like I've already lost Shino-chan."

Atoli's face became fierce as she looked Haruko straight in the eyes. "And I don't want to lose you or Sakaki, either! I knew I could survive it, so…"

Haruko shook his head. "Don't do that again, okay? But how did you escape, then?"

Atoli shook her head slowly. "A girl with pink hair came… I think she was a GM. She summoned an Avatar, like you had, and she fought it off."

Haruko stared. _An Avatar? So, another player with that power has appeared…_ He frowned. "Did you catch the name?"

Atoli blinked. "I think she called it 'Tarvos'. She didn't give her name, though. She just told us both to leave at once. And she told me to log out and rest. Something about 'Deadly Flash'…"

Haruko's mind whirled. _Tarvos… one of the Eight Phases of Morganna. Who is this girl, and how does she have the power to control a Phase? And if she has one…_ He shook his head. _Now's not the time. Atoli-chan needs me right now._ His face tightened slightly. "Atoli-chan… please, don't do anything like that again. I worry about you."

Atoli slumped against him. Her hat flopped off and fell to the ground. "Haruko-kun… Why are you always so nice to me, anyway?"

Haruko blinked. "Atoli-chan?"

Atoli sighed. "This past week, you've been so nice to me. I just don't understand it. I keep making mistakes, I told your most important secret to your worst enemy…"

Haruko shook his head. "So? Everyone makes mistakes. I'm not going to hate you for telling Sakaki-san about AIDA. Don't put yourself down so much."

Atoli sighed. "I just don't get it. What's so different about this place? Nobody acts like you and Sakaki do towards me in real life."

Haruko blinked. "Nobody? That can't be right. What about your friends?"

Atoli shook her head. "They all say I'm uncool. I don't wear trendy clothes, I don't have piercings… and when I try to be cool, my parents get mad and call me… things…" She broke off and began to sob again.

Haruko smiled sadly and gently rubbed her back. "I see. But really… I don't see any of that here. I just see a cute young girl with a kind heart." He tousled her hair playfully. "I'm kind towards you because I want to be kind to you. You're a nice person, Atoli-chan."

Atoli looked up at him, tear tracks running down her face. "You really mean that? You like me? The real me?"

Haruko grinned. "Of course."

Atoli shook her head. "No, I mean… are you looking at 'me' right now? Is it really 'me' that you like?"

Haruko blinked, confused. "What do you mean, 'looking at me'? I'm looking at you right now." He tilted his head. "Atoli-chan is Atoli-chan, that's all."

Atoli smiled. "Yes. I'm me, that's for certain. But," she added. "Is it really because I'm me that you like me? This Hotaru person… you said I was like her."

Haruko's eyes widened. "Oh… _that's_ what you meant. I'm sorry, Atoli-chan, I should have realized. It's not like that, really. You act like Hotaru-chan would sometimes, but you're not her replacement or anything. She and I are still in touch, even though she's left 'The World'. You're 'you' and not Hotaru-chan. Besides… I could never truthfully say this to Hotaru-chan, but…" He grinned sheepishly. "This might sound kind of weird, but this past week, I've come to think of you like a little sister."

Atoli stared. "A… sister?"

Haruko grinned and rubbed the back of his head with one hand. "Pretty dumb, huh? But nobody I've ever met in 'The World' has been like that. I do have one little sister, but she's not really like you." His smile widened. "Is that enough, Atoli-chan? I really am looking at 'you', when I say I care about what happens to you."

Atoli stood back from him for a moment, her lip quivering. Haruko's smile faded. "Oh no… did I go too far? I'm sorry… I'm kind of naïve about this kind of thing, I'm sure Henako-chan's told you…"

He was suddenly cut off when Atoli leapt at him and flung her arms around his neck, beaming wildly through her tears. Caught off guard, Haruko lost his balance and fell into a sitting position. "Thank you so much, Haruko-niichan," she said. "Nobody's ever said anything so nice to me."

Haruko grinned bemusedly. "No brother in real life, huh?" he said.

Atoli hugged tighter. "No. I'm an only child. But not even Sakaki has said anything like that."

Haruko laughed. "Well, he's a bit too old to be your brother, eh? Not like the crazy college student behind this avatar."

Atoli smiled. "I suppose… just how old are you, anyway? I'm 16, by the way."

Haruko shrugged. "Well, I guess we got the older and younger part right. I'm 19 in real life. So you're still in high school, eh?"

Atoli nodded. "Yes, I am. And you're in college, right? What's that like? Actually, what's school like in general where you live?"

Haruko grinned. "Well…" The two talked happily for a long while.

Some time later, Haruko sighed and stood up. "Well, it's getting pretty late."

Atoli blinked. "Really?" She stood silently for a moment. In his mind, Haruko saw her lifting her visor and checking the clock. "Wow," she said suddenly. "We've been talking for hours. Amazing…"

Haruko grinned. "Haven't had a conversation like that before, have you?"

Atoli giggled. "No- not since, oh, a long time ago. It feels wonderful. I'm glad to have a good friend- and a brother- like you." She yawned.

Haruko raised an eyebrow. "Getting tired, Atoli? Go ahead and get some rest. I need to get some sleep, too. Otherwise I'll probably fall asleep in class again."

Atoli nodded. "Okay. Good night, Oniichan."

Haruko laughed. "Yeah. Good night, Atoli." He turned towards the platform, and suddenly stopped.

A tall, smiling man stood there, the frozen sun's light reflecting off of tinted sunglasses. "Leaving so soon, Haruko of the Emerald Winds?" he said in a voice that was at once soft and deep.

Haruko blinked. "Ovan? I haven't seen you around lately. And Haseo-dono's been worried sick. Where did you go to?"

Atoli ran up to his side. "Emerald Winds? What's that? And who is this, Oniichan?"

Haruko shrugged. "Well, in 'The World R:1', I was given the title of 'Haruko of the Emerald Winds', because of my strength and because of the way I lived within 'The World'. I haven't used it in a long time, though. I have yet to earn it in R:2."

Ovan frowned. "Yes. It was a title granted by Balmung himself. You used to wear it so proudly." He turned to Atoli. "And who's this? Not your blood sister, surely."

Atoli blushed slightly. "I'm Atoli. We're not actually related, but…"

Ovan smiled calmly. "I see. So it is symbolic, then."

Haruko snorted. "If that's how you want to put it. But don't belittle it with a common word like 'symbolic'. She's my sister in all but her blood."

Atoli nodded. "And Haruko is my brother in the same way."

Ovan nodded. "I understand." He turned to Haruko, his cape rippling. "Now, about Haseo. I'd appreciate it if you did not tell him we met here. I need for him to become stronger, and if he continues to rely on me, he will fail and perish, just as Shino did."

Haruko frowned. "As mysterious and manipulative as ever, I see. Just what is it you're after, Ovan?"

Ovan gave another enigmatic smile and spun on his heel. "You will find out in due time, Haruko. You who wield the Zero Phase, Gemini… you will have a part to play in all of this." He tapped the strange device that covered his entire left arm. "When this seal breaks, all shall be made plain." With a whirl of his cloak, he gated out and vanished.

Sora lay awake for a long time that night, his mind whirling. Some of his musings were happy. _She actually called me Oniichan! Another little sister to take care of... and, of course, to have fun with._ Others, disturbed. _So, there's someone else out there with an Avatar- and it's one of the Eight Phases! And Ovan… what is he up to? And how does he know about the Avatars? Just what is going on…?_

Eventually, he fell into a troubled sleep. Towards dawn, he began to dream, something that had not happened in a long time.

_A barren, dark landscape stood before him. Strange rifts had torn the place asunder, spilling what looked like code fragments into the air. The background music, too, was torn and scratchy. He grit his teeth. This was the place, he was sure of it. He tightened his grip on his twin blades as the ends of his headband blew in the wind._

_"Sora-kun! I know you're here!" he called out. "Please answer me!"_

_A low moan. He spun around. A green-haired Twin Blade stood behind him, ragged robes shrouding him. "Be… gone…" croaked the apparition._

_He stared. "Sora-kun, what do you mean? It's me, Haruko! Your friend!"_

_The figure's head tilted, a blank look on its usually smug features. "Ha…ru…ko?" it muttered._

_He ground his teeth in fury. "Yeah! Don't you remember? All those adventures we had, with Mimiru-chan, and Tsukasa-sama… don't tell me you've forgotten all of that!"_

_A glint in its blank eyes. "Tsu…ka…sa…" it moaned. "So… you know… the one… who made… Aura… wake up…"_

_He blanched. "Sora-kun?" Suddenly, he understood, and his eyes blazed. "No. I knew it. You're not Sora-kun at all!"_

_The robed figure slowly raised one hand. "Die… friend… of Aura…"_

_He drew out his twin blades. "Give him back, Morganna, you filthy witch! Give him back! Let Sora-kun go!"_

_A red wand rose out of the ground, in the shape of a strange cross with a ring around the center. "Skeith… come…" the figure moaned, and then vanished._

_The very earth seemed to shake, as a dark grey figure shimmered into being beside the wand. Although humanoid in appearance, it seemed more puppet than man, with arms and legs like metal rods. It had no hands or feet, but its horned head glared at him with three blazing, misshapen eyes._

_He growled. "Skeith… the Terror of Death. So you're the one imprisoning Sora-kun's consciousness. Very well, then. Die!" He charged._

_Suddenly, he was high in the air, unable to move. The cross was behind him, binding his arms and legs, and a ghastly white light shone in Skeith's left arm. The light leapt out to pierce him…_

Sora woke in a cold sweat. "Sora-kun…" he mumbled.

Someone knocked on his door. "Sora-kun? Are you all right in there?" The door opened a crack, and a worried face peeked in.

Sora shook his head. "It's nothing, Hiruma-kun. I just had a nightmare."

Hiruma shrugged and adjusted his glasses. "If you want to talk about it, I'm right down the hall." He turned, and then paused. "You know, you used to tell me everything. What happened to the Sora-kun that trusted me so much?"

Sora shook his head. "Nothing, Hiruma-kun. I'm just tired, I guess. Tell you about it in the morning, okay?"

Hiruma grinned. "That sounds a lot more like you. Good night, Sora-kun- although, that _is_ a bit strange to say when the sun's about to rise again."

Sora lay back and closed his eyes. As sleep claimed him again, one last thought drifted through his mind. _A memory of seven years' past… why has it returned to haunt me now?_

True to his word, when he woke up a few hours later, Sora went down the hall and knocked on Hiruma's door. "Come in," came his friend's pleasant voice.

A few minutes later, Sora finished detailing his troubling dream and fell silent. Hiruma rubbed his chin. "So, it was less of a dream than a memory," he mused. "I'd think it odd that you were dreaming about a game- which is probably why you didn't want to tell me before- but then again, this is 'The World' we're discussing." He frowned, and looked at Sora with a suddenly serious face. "The Twilight Incident seven years ago… it's beginning again, isn't it?"

Sora nodded. "Yeah. The first victims have already fallen into comas."

Hiruma nodded. "But, naturally you won't back off. Even after you joined them for a short while last week."

Sora grinned sheepishly. "Oh, you saw that? I'm sorry. I just burned myself out taking down the enemy, that's all."

Hiruma's eyes narrowed. "Even so, you cut it very fine. Sora-kun, you should pull out now."

Sora shook his head and grinned. "I can't, Hiruma-kun. Zefie-chan's given me the Bracelet…"

Hiruma's eyes shot wide open. "The Bracelet of Twilight…" he breathed. "So it has returned to 'The World'. Very well then." He smiled. "I will fight too, then. I keep hearing about this new guild… the 'Twilight Guardians', led by an Adept Rogue called Haruko. If they can fight with you, I want to as well."

Sora shook his head. "No way. It would be bad enough if one of my comrades became a Lost One. But you…"

Hiruma laughed. "What do you take me for? Seven years ago, Helio and I fought by your side often enough."

Sora's eyes narrowed. "We had the full support and power of C.C. Corp's debugging staff in those days- at least, at the beginning, before we broke with Lios and Adam-niisan- as well the anti-Data Bug weapons that Aura-sama gave us- your sword 'Ragnarok' and my twin blades 'Shingetsu' and 'Mangetsu'. It's not like that now."  
Hiruma looked amused. "Oh? And you're telling me that we need such weapons to fight AIDA? I know you have already fought off at least one Data Bug."

Sora frowned. "And you saw the result. I was unconscious for half an hour because of it, and Atoli nearly became a Lost One as well."

Hiruma shrugged. "You needn't worry about me. You're not the only one to be Data Drained and survive, you know. But on to happier topics… who's this 'Atoli' you mentioned just now? Did you finally get a girlfriend?" He gave Sora an impish grin.

Sora laughed, and began to tell Hiruma about the past week's events. When he finished, Hiruma broke out into a huge smile. "Well, congratulations, Sora-kun. I know you'll be a good brother to her. You never cease to amaze me with the depths of your kindness."

Sora blushed. "Oh, come on. I'm… Oh, who am I kidding? I guess you're right."

Hiruma laughed. "Well, now we should probably get to class. It's nice being able to set our own schedules now we're in college, but..."

Sora glanced at his watch and yelped. "Oh man, you're right. I've got to run. Bye Himura-kun! Meet me at Morrigu Barrow tomorrow; we'll talk about you joining the Guardians!"

Hiruma watched him go, and chuckled. "So, Sora-kun has been given the bracelet, has he? I knew Aura wouldn't forget about him. But I do wish she would show herself to him at least once. She must know how much he longs for it." He leaned back. "Twilight Guardians, eh? I'm glad, in a way. It's been so long since we've been able to fight together, you and I."

Author's Note: And with that, we're halfway done. As for the appearance of the .hack//SIGN Sora, that's actually canon. See .hack//Zero for details (if you can find it...)


	7. Arena, Round 2

Later that afternoon, Haruko logged in to "The World" and dashed to the Chaos Gate. "Nearly forgot… the match!" he gasped out as he warped to Lumina Cloth.

Akiko and Yuki were waiting at the Arena counter. Yuki grinned. "Sleep late or something, Haruko?" she said.

Haruko shrugged. "I had class. You know how it is."

Akiko rolled his eyes. "Are you ready now, then? Let's go pulverize that punk Sakaki!" Yuki went to the register and began registering the team. Akiko grinned. "By the way… how'd it go yesterday with _Atoli-chan_?"

Haruko rolled his eyes, and opened his mouth to speak. Instantly, he was cut off by a shout of "Oniichan!"

Akiko stared as Atoli ran up to them, beaming. "Oniichan?" he muttered. "Boy, do I feel dumb. And here I thought you'd finally gotten yourself a girlfriend."

Haruko rolled his eyes again, and then turned to Atoli. "Atoli, good to see you again."

Atoli giggled. "I came to watch the match. I couldn't let you three go into battle without someone to cheer you on!"

Haruko chuckled. "Someone besides half the Arena, you mean?"

Yuki rolled her eyes. "Come on, you know Sakaki's group is the favorite."

"Actually, it's Matsu's group now. Sakaki made me the leader for some reason." Matsu walked up, grinning. "So this is your motley crew, Haruko. Well, my PK days are over, but I'm still not going to lose to you."

Haruko grinned. "Hey, that works for me. Now I don't have to worry about leaving Sakaki-san for last. This way, we can whittle things down until it's just you and me."

Matsu's eyes widened and he grinned. "Are you challenging me, little Haruko?"

Akiko snorted. "All three of us are challenging you, 'little' Matsu."

Atoli blinked. "I don't get it…"

Yuki laughed. "It's pretty simple, Atoli. If you defeat the party leader in an Arena battle, the battle ends immediately. But we always make it a point of personal pride to beat all three members of an enemy party. So, since Matsu is the leader instead of Sakaki, we can beat Sakaki and Hiiragi first, and then it goes down basically to Haruko against Matsu."

Matsu gave a mocking half-salute. "Looking forward to it. Once Hiiragi and Sakaki get here, we're really going to have some fun."

Haruko grinned. With Akiko and Yuki at his heels, he walked quickly towards the warp-in point for the competitors. Atoli waved to him as he began to warp. "I'll go find a good seat. Good luck, everyone!"

Soon enough, both teams stood atop their pedestals, awaiting the signal to fight. Up above, the announcer was going through his usual pre-match spiel. "And now, the second round of the tournament! First, fresh from their astounding, whirlwind defeat of Only 1 Target, it's the Twilight Riders, led by Haruko! Will this be a repeat of their amazing first match, where they crushed their opponents with almost unreal strength? Or will Team Moon Tree, led by the rookie Matsu, once again stop their ride to the top? They certainly didn't waste any time with their opponents in Team Raven in their own first match! Now for another furious, astounding match in the Demon Palace tournament!"

Matsu groaned. "Geez, does that guy ever get tired of hearing his own voice? Let's fight already!"

Sakaki frowned. "Easy, Matsu. Don't get overexcited. Remember, as team leader your health bar is the one that needs the most protection."

Hiiragi shrugged. "Don't worry, Lord Sakaki. I'll make sure nothing happens to your little protégé."

Over on his own pedestal, Haruko rolled his eyes. "What she sees in Sakaki-san, I'll never know."

Akiko shrugged. "Hiiragi's cracked anyway. I'm glad we have to take him out first- that way we don't have to listen to him gushing over 'Lord Sakaki'."

Yuki giggled. "Hey, be nice, Akiko. And don't take Hiiragi lightly. Don't forget, her grey magic spells make her a formidable foe."

With a whirl of energy, both teams warped down to the arena floor. Haruko grinned. "Ready?"

Matsu laughed. "You know it! Let's goooo!" The two teams charged at one another, weapons at the ready.

Immediately, Yuki targeted Hiiragi. "Maj Lei!" she shouted.

Sakaki frowned. "A curse-inflicting spell? Blast! Well, I won't let you do that. Ogre Sword!" He flew at Yuki, sword flying.

Suddenly, Haruko was in front, twin blades out and a smile on his face. In the split second before they collided, he wagged a finger at Sakaki. "Now, now, I can't let you do that," he said. "Sparrow Counter!" With a swift motion, he swung his blades up and knocked Sakaki into the air, then leapt up and struck him back to earth with a powerful overhand strike. Meanwhile, Yuki's curse hit Hiiragi head-on. She smiled- with the curse in place, Hiiragi's spellcasting abilities would be heavily reduced.

Akiko took the opportunity immediately. Just before Hiiragi's poison spell reached him, he dashed at the falling Sakaki. "Tiger Blitz!" he shouted, and swung his broadsword in a V-shape. Sakaki yelled and flew back, crashing into the barrier at the end of the arena.

Matsu stared. "Wow, you guys really _are_ good. I guess you beating Bordeaux in less than a minute wasn't a fluke after all." He drew out his broadsword and charged Haruko. "But it'll take more than that to beat us!"

Haruko swung up his twin blades to block the heavy blade. "Oh, I know that, Matsu-san. I'm just getting warmed up, though." He shoved Matsu's blade back and put a quick slice into his chest.

Matsu leapt back and grinned. Sakaki flew past him and struck Haruko hard. "Be more serious, Matsu," he said firmly. "This is far from over."

The fight dragged on for a long time, as weapons crashed and spells flew in all directions. At one point, Haruko was forced to block a bullet from Matsu's bayonet with one blade while parrying Sakaki's sword with the other. He laughed, and responded by striking Sakaki at point-blank range with a Sword Dance.

Hiiragi was the first to fall. No matter what he did, whenever he tried to heal one of his teammates, either Haruko or Akiko- and once, Yuki with a nasty wind spell- would blitz through and interrupt the spell with a powerful arts counterattack. After a vicious beating from Team Haruko's second Demon Awakening, he fell to his knees. "Lord Sakaki… I'm so sorry," he moaned.

Sakaki and Matsu stood still for a moment. "This is unreal," muttered Matsu. "When did they get so strong?"

Sakaki frowned. "Haruko! Are you using that little… _item_ of yours?"

Haruko stared. "This?" he asked, holding up his right arm and looking at the bracelet. "Wouldn't dream of…"

"...Letting your guard down?" Sakaki cut him off, hitting him with a vicious Lateral Moon attack. He smirked. "Not bringing a Cleric was a mistake, I think."

Haruko growled and landed catlike on the ground, sliding a short way. "Sneaky, underhanded… I don't know what Atoli sees in you, but I hope for your own sake you aren't really as much of a cur as you seem to be."

Sakaki smiled. "All's fair in love and war, is it not? I will not lose to you."

A stream of fireballs crashed onto his head, making him stagger and gasp. "I don't remember giving you permission to act tough, Sakaki," said Yuki, smirking.

Haruko took the opportunity to leap back and cast a Repth spell on a badly hurt Akiko. "Akiko-kun! Let's finish this punk off fast!"

The two fighters flew forward together. Haruko's katana flew up, Akiko's broadsword crashed down, and Sakaki joined Hiiragi on the arena's floor.

Matsu stared around at his two defeated teammates, and the three grinning enemies opposing him. He grinned sheepishly. "I'm in trouble, aren't I?"

Akiko grinned wolfishly. "I'd say so, yes."

Yuki twirled her grimoire and laughed. "Ready for pain?"

Haruko held out his right arm. "Easy, you two. Matsu-san, how about it? You and me, one on one."

Matsu's eyes widened. "For real?" He shrugged. "Fine, but at least have your teammates cast some spells or something."

Haruko shrugged. "Hey, it's your call."

Akiko and Yuki looked at each other, and both cast Repth spells on Haruko. Yuki gave him a thumbs-up. "Go make us proud, Guildmaster."

Haruko grinned and drew out his twin blades. "Naturally. What else would I do? I have to set a good example for my new little sister, right?"

Up in the stands, Atoli beamed. "Go for it, Oniichan," she whispered.

Haruko grinned. "Ready, Matsu-san? Let's end this fight."

Matsu drew out his broadsword. "I knew I was right to unseal this. I knew it. Now I finally have an enemy worthy of my full strength!" He swung the red blade in a huge whirl. "Let's go!"

The two fighters charged. Haruko swung his twin blades up to block the falling sword. Matsu grinned and swung again, even harder. Haruko's arms buckled under the impact, and he staggered back. "Not bad…" he muttered. Matsu's next move was a charged strike that swept aside his guard and knocked him into the wall. Haruko grunted from the impact. "Okay, time to end this," he said. He flew past Matsu's guard and placed a swift Gale Blade attack.

Matsu grinned. "That stings, little Haruko. But not as much as this will!" He swung down the blade again. With a flash, Haruko drew his katana and blocked with it. The two blades ground against each other, sparks flying. Slowly, Haruko was pushed back. "No way…" he muttered. "Can I… lose here? Again?"

For a moment, he glanced up at the arena's broadcast screen, as images of the audience flashed across it. To his surprise, nearly everyone was on their feet, cheering. The voice of the announcer reached his ears for the first time in a while. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is truly the most incredible battle I've ever witnessed! Haruko and Matsu, two of the most talented fighters in all of 'The World', clashing together like two gods of battle descended to the earth!"

Haruko and Matsu stared for a moment, as the Arena came to life around them. Everyone was on their feet, chanting, and it did not matter which side they cheered for…

And Atoli's face flashed onto the screen for a moment. "Go for it, Haruko-niichan!" she cried out.

Haruko's eyes flew open for a moment. Then, he grinned. Matsu stared in disbelief as Haruko forced his broadsword back and made him stumble back. Haruko grinned and raised his blade to the sky. "Game set, Matsu-kun. Zan Rom!"

Swirling winds raged up from the arena's floor and sliced through Matsu. He took a tottering step towards Haruko, and then fell to his knees. "Yeah," he said softly. "Game set, Haruko." His blade fell from his fingers and crashed to the floor.

The Arena erupted in cheers. "And in a stunning finish, the winner is Team Haruko!" cried the announcer. "An amazing upset from the rising underdogs!"

Down on the arena floor, Haruko extended a hand and helped Matsu to his feet. "You almost had me there, Matsu-kun. Thank you. That's one of the most incredible fights I've had in a long time."

Matsu grinned wildly. "You said it, Haruko! But really, you're even more powerful than I gave you credit for. And I already knew you were tough. I can't think of anyone else I'd rather take my first Arena loss from."

Haruko grinned. "Any time, Matsu-kun."

Akiko laughed. "Looks like you've got a new rival, eh Haruko?"

Matsu snorted. "You know it! I won't lose next time!"

Haruko nodded. "I'll look forward to it. Come any time you want to. But be ready to lose again."

Matsu shrugged. "Win or lose, that's the way of us fighters, right?"

Haruko nodded, as the two clasped hands. "Absolutely."

Outside the arena, Haruko barely made it a step away from the warp point before he was knocked over by a flying hug from Atoli. "You did it, Oniichan!" she cried. "You're amazing. And that final strike against Matsu… wonderful! I think I understand a little better now what you mean about the arena."

Matsu laughed as he walked up. "That's right. It's not just the winning- it's about the fight itself, and the honor of the fighters. You'll understand it someday."

Haruko sighed. "Man, that fight was intense, though. My hands are still shaking on the controller. I'm going to call it a day early, okay?"

Atoli smiled and bowed. "That's fine. Get some rest, okay, Oniichan?"

Matsu blinked. "Oniichan? What?" He shrugged. "Oh, well. I'll figure it out eventually. Besides, it's Haruko, after all. Nothing should surprise me with him around."

Haruko grinned and waved as he gated out.

Exhausted, Haruko warped back to Mac Anu. Immediately, an NPC accosted him. "Greetings, user Haruko," it said.

Haruko blinked. "Me?" he said, confused. He glanced at the robed and hooded figure.

The NPC nodded and bowed slightly. "It has been determined that you have accidentally obtained an unstable and potentially dangerous item." It indicated the bracelet on his wrist. "As always, the safety and happiness of its customers is the foremost priority of C.C. Corp. In accordance with this, please turn over the item for immediate deletion. You will, of course, be provided with a valuable rare item in exchange." It held out one hand expectantly.

Haruko stared. "No way. I need this so that I can protect that safety you claim to be so devoted to protecting."

The NPC frowned. "If you do not comply, you are…"

Haruko cut him off with a snort. "In violation of my user agreement, yeah, yeah. Do you have any idea how many times I've heard that? And by the way, you're obviously no NPC. Show yourself, whoever you are."

Someone tapped him on the shoulder. "Astute as ever, aren't you… Haruko of the Emerald Winds."

Haruko whirled around. A woman wearing heavy armor, a cloth skirt that split at the sides, and a dark visor faced him. In one hand, resting on the ground, she held a long spear. Haruko frowned. "Administrator Kamui-san. Why am I not surprised that you're getting involved in all of this?"

Kamui gave him a wry smile. "Why am I not surprised that you are refusing to cooperate? You always were a thorn in the side of the Cobalt Knights."

Haruko's eyes flashed. "Of course. You were going around wiping out vagrant AIs for no reason other than that they existed. Despicable."

Kamui glared at him, making the difference in color of her eyes more apparent. "You're the despicable one, interfering with our duty. And now you're wandering around brazenly with a known cheat item…"

Haruko held up his right arm, suddenly cheerful. "You mean this? It's not a cheat item. I thought Shugo-kun and Zefie-chan explained it well enough to you last time."

Kamui's eyes fell on the bracelet, and she took a step back. "That's… it's Shugo's bracelet! Where did you get that?"

Haruko grinned. "Zefie-chan gave it to me. I think it goes rather well with the rest of my outfit; what do you think?"

Kamui seemed to recover her composure. "Nonetheless, I can't let you wander around unchecked."

Haruko's smile fell. "Of course. 'What cannot be controlled must be deleted.' Seven years after the first coming of the Twilight, and C.C. Corp still doesn't understand how wrong that idea is. And now the Twilight is coming again, and this bracelet could be all that stands in the way of utter chaos. Do you really want another disaster like the one in Yokohama? Our goals are the same, Kamui-san- why are you so blind that you can't see that?"

Kamui frowned. "Of course not. That's why I'm going to have to delete you. There's no telling…"

"That's enough, Kamui." A deep voice cut across Kamui's. Both players spun around. A powerfully built man stood there, heavily tanned and wearing a simple crimson toga. White wave tattoos curled along nearly every inch of his skin. "We have been monitoring the situation, and so far Haruko has shown no signs of causing damage to 'The World'. On the contrary, he has so far exterminated three dangerous bugs in the game that may be connected to the comatose players." He adjusted his orange sunglasses. "In short, though a rogue element, he may prove useful."

Kamui raised her spear and pointed it at the newcomer. "Who are you, and how do you know so much about…"

The man raised a hand. "I am Yata, administrator and head of C.C Corp's top secret Project G.U.," he said, using private chat so nobody could hear. "Like you, Kamui, I am a game master, charged with protecting 'The World'."

Haruko frowned. "That's not all you are. You can't hide that voice of yours no matter how hard you try… Wiseman-san."

Kamui's eyes went wide. "Wiseman… the dot hacker…"

Yata smiled. "Does it really surprise you, Kamui? After all, Balmung was also both administrator and dot hacker." He turned to Haruko. "Your ears are sharp, Haruko of the Emerald Winds. I am not surprised that you've returned to this place once again."

"Master Yata!" cut in another voice. "Where did you go, Master Yata?" Haruko blinked as a Tribal Grappler with pink ponytails ran up. "There you are," she muttered.

Haruko's eyes went wide. _Could this be her? Is this the GM Atoli mentioned?_

Yata smiled. "Ah, Pi. There you are."

Pi frowned at Haruko. "So, you're the rogue element that Master Yata mentioned. I hope you realize, we're not giving you a ticket to run free. You'll be working under close supervision from C.C. Corp."

Haruko stared for a moment. Then, an impish grin crept onto his face as an idea came to him. "Supervision? Sorry, lady, but I don't work with C.C. Corp. And neither does 'he'." At the word "he", Haruko curled his fingers in the air, in a suggestion of quotation marks.

Pi blinked. "What? 'He'?" Suddenly, she blanched. "You can't mean…"

Haruko grinned. "So you _were_ the one who saved Atoli the other day. For that you have my thanks… Pi-san, user of Tarvos, the Seventh Phase."

Pi took a step back. "M-master Yata!" she said. "Who is this boy, that he knows about the Avatars?"

Yata looked confused as well. "I… am not sure myself. I know he is quite an accomplished lore master, despite his young age. His knowledge of the mythologies of both this 'World' and the real one is almost unmatched. But to know of the Avatars…" He shook his head violently. "In any case, come with us now. We need to learn what you know, and just how much power you have."

Kamui turned her spear to face Haruko. "Either you work with C.C. Corp, or you are our enemy," she said grimly.

Haruko smiled enigmatically. "Kamui-san, Pi-san, Wiseman-san… what does the word 'Twilight' mean to you?"

Kamui shuddered. "Twilight is an ending. It means total chaos, loss of control, the fall of everything we've worked to build."

Pi frowned. "A dangerous power that can't be controlled, and likely should never have existed in the first place- that is the power of the 'Twilight'."

Yata smiled. "I'd… rather not say what it means to me."

Haruko shrugged. "You two speak as ones who fear it. But what the twilight really is, is a boundary. Twilight is the boundary between night and day, between light and darkness. Kamui-san… you fear that darkness because you see an ending in it. But 'The World' neither has nor needs an ending. And besides, there is still light in the twilight. Day and night, light and dark, that is the line that I walk upon. I will willingly work with C.C. Corp when I feel it is in the right. After all, our ultimate goal is the same- to protect 'The World' and the players that have gotten caught up in this mess. But your habit of deleting anything that disobeys you… I will oppose you whenever you try and indulge that habit. I will not make the same mistakes I made when I worked under Administrator Lios. And I will also work freely with the other forces in this world- those like Helba-sama and Aura-sama who can work wonders not possible for a C.C Corp employee."

He turned to Pi. "Power that can't be controlled… the sun is the same way. Nuclear power, as well, can never be completely brought to heel. Indeed, no power can truly be controlled. But we need not control the power of the Twilight; indeed, its greatest strength is that nobody controls it. And you would not say that it should not exist if you had ever met Aura-sama or Zefie-chan." He smiled warmly. "Harold Hoerwick-sama's greatest legacy… above all else, I will protect those two with my very life."

Yata nodded. "A good answer, Haruko. But I would like to speak with you more. You should know what you're up against, if you and your guild intend to continue fighting AIDA."

Haruko shrugged. "Well, why not? Where should we talk?"

Yata handed him a small key. "This will let you into the headquarters of our guild, Raven, in Mac Anu. Come there when you are able."

Kamui stared. "Yata! What are you thinking? Running rogue like that, he represents a threat to 'The World'!"

Haruko sneered. "Far less of one than your heavy-handed ways, Kamui-san. Tell me, had you succeeded in deleting Kite all those years ago, what do you think would have resulted?" He spun on his heel. "I respect C.C. Corp, and am eternally grateful to them for making this game a reality. But as long as you continue to act like fools, I cannot work with you. I made that decision seven years ago. Wiseman-san, I'll stop by your guild tomorrow, is that all right?" Yata nodded and smiled. Haruko flashed him a grin and logged out.

Author's Notes: And, we finally get a decent fight scene! Woohoo!

As for Yata... I don't actually know if he really is Wiseman, although someone once told me he is. (They're both voiced by Steven Jay Blum, after all.) In any case, Haruko thinks he is, and Yata's not denying it, so... yeah.

And for those of you who don't remember the name, Harold Hoerwick is the man who initially created "The World" and programmed Aura.


	8. Arena Finals

A quick announcement here... It's been suggested to me by a friend that since these chapters are averaging around 3000-3500 words, updating once a day might be too much, so I'm going to scale back to a MWF schedule for now. There are twelve chapters to this part total, so that means they'll all be up on Wednesday of next week, and then I'm going to take a break over spring break before uploading part 2.

And to Belthasar: Thanks for the review- my first on here:D But, actually the Haseo vs. Azure Kite fight doesn't happen until part two. This one's going to have a similar time jump to the one in G.U., and then parts 2-4 will run alongside the three games.

Another week passed. Hiruma and his character Helio were inducted into the Twilight Guardians, and were welcomed into Third Unit. Yata and Haruko met again, and discussed briefly what each knew about AIDA- staggeringly little, as it turned out. Haruko was surprised to learn that, in fact, every Avatar wielder- or "Epitaph User", as Yata called them, had one of the Eight Phases as an Avatar. Yata had been very interested in Haruko's bizarre Zero Phase Avatar, which broke these rules, but refrained from asking to analyze it. The two parted with the promise that both groups would work hard in parallel, and report anything interesting that they turned up.

The third tournament match passed without incident; the three members of the PK guild Gem had crumpled under the combined assault of Haruko, Akiko, and Mirage. Despite the coming exams, meanwhile, Haruko had devoted nearly all of his free time to training his team. Three more AIDA were discovered and eliminated without anyone getting injured, although one time Haruko fell unconscious again, this time for about five minutes. Eventually, the finals of the Demon Palace tournament were about to begin.

Once again, Haruko flew down the road to Lumina Cloth in a wild hurry. "Geez… late again!" he wheezed.

Akiko laughed as he ran up. "You moron. Set an alarm on your watch or something."

Haruko sighed. "I don't have one, remember? And I can't control when classes end, after all." He glanced around. "Wait, where's our third member?"

Akiko rolled his eyes. "Geez, she's even more unreliable than her brother. Even later, too."

A call split the air. "Wait for me!" A young girl in gold-chased white armor ran up, her golden cape billowing out behind her. Her blonde hair fell to her shoulders, kept out of her eyes by a slim golden circlet. "I'm so sorry I'm late…" she gasped out.

Haruko grinned. "It's all right, Fata-chan."

"Fata? What an interesting name. Is it all right if I ask where it came from?" Atoli walked up with a puzzled look on her face.

Haruko lit up. "Hey! Atoli, you made it!"

Fata smiled. "So this is the 'Atoli' that Master Haruko speaks so fondly of. I am Fata. It refers to a type of mirage known as a _fata morgana_. You see, there is a type of mirage that makes an extra image of far-off objects. Often these mirages are said to look like fairy-tale castles- hence the name, which is a Latin rendering of 'Morgan le Fay'. My name is merely a shortening of this phenomenon."

A young man in black and silver armor walked up, a silver cape fluttering slightly behind him. He brushed some of his long blue hair out of his eyes and smiled. "My little sister is a bit more sophisticated than me," he commented. "I call myself just plain old Mirage, but she has to pick the most Latin-sounding type of mirage for her name."

Haruko grinned. "Mirage-kun, I thought you might show up." He turned to Atoli. "This is Mirage-kun. In real life, he's Fata-chan's older brother. They're both Adept Rogues, and both took Blade Brandier and a magic class."

Fata pulled out a staff and twirled it. "In other words, we're both mage knights. I took Harvest Cleric, and my brother uses Shadow Warlock powers. Both of us are part of Master Haruko's guild."

Mirage laughed. "Yeah. I'm in First Unit, with all the fighters. My little sister works in Third Unit, helping out noobs."

Haruko's eyes flared. "I told you not to call them that, Mirage-kun. There's a world of difference between a newbie and a noob."

Mirage shrugged. "Maybe in your day, 'Master' Haruko, but these days the other meaning of 'noob' has died out."

Akiko glared. "That's enough out of you, Mirage."

Haruko rolled his eyes. "Come on, you're making me feel old here. Just because I've been playing for ten years doesn't mean I'm old. I was nine when I first started playing this game."

Mirage rolled his eyes back at Haruko. "Oh, that much is clear. After all, you ended up picking a _girl's_ name for your first character. But why haven't you changed it since then? Perhaps you _are_ a girl in real life?"

Atoli cut in. "Um, Oniichan? Isn't the match about to start?"

Mirage blinked, but then huffed and ran off towards the spectator's entrance. Haruko sighed. "Thanks, Atoli. I don't know why he's always so difficult."

Fata sighed. "Oniisan can be kind of a pig sometimes. I'm sorry." She straightened up. "Anyway, let's go."

Akiko nodded. "Yeah. We're up against Alkaid, a tough young rookie with a vicious set of twin blades. Oddly enough, all three members of her team are female Twin Blades. So I figured, why not send a team of three Adept Rogues against her?"

Haruko grinned and walked to the warp point. "Yeah. Make things interesting, right? Let's go, then!"

Inside the arena, Haruko and the others found Alkaid's team already there waiting. Alkaid sneered. "I was starting to think you wouldn't come! Ready to lose at the finals again, 'Twilight Riders'? Hah!"

Haruko gave a very obvious shrug. "Well, three Twin Blades against three Adept Rogues… I don't know, Alkaid-san. I kind of like our odds better than yours."

A tic appeared in Alkaid's forehead as she tightened her grip on her blades. "Hey! Announcer guy! Could you hurry up the commentary? I want to take this punk down!"

Fata blinked. "Gee… Wouldn't you think that she could handle playful banter like that? She's really overreacting…"

The announcer plowed on, unperturbed. "And now, the moment you've all been waiting for! These two teams have slashed and crushed their way through the ranking, and triumphed over every enemy they've faced thus far in the tournament. Now, the last two teams are ready to clash for the victory in the Demon Palace tournament, and the right to face Emperor Antares himself! First, the rising rookie team, Team Alkaid! These three fiery youths joined just after the previous tournament, but quickly clawed their way up to be the first-ranked Arena team! They've cut their way through three powerful veteran teams to be here, and it looks like they have no intentions of stopping here! But against them is Team Haruko, whose meteoric rise to the heights of Arena prowess has seemed unstoppable thus far! Will it be Team Alkaid who stops them in their tracks here, or will Team Haruko plow through them as they did Team Gem and Team Bordeaux? One thing is for sure, ladies and gentlemen, we are in for a truly spectacular final round here today!"

As the teams warped down to the arena floor, Haruko grinned. "Hey, Alkaid-san! No matter who wins here, let's make sure to give the fans a show to remember, okay?"

Alkaid grit her teeth. "They'll remember how I took you down faster than you beat Bordeaux, you punk!"

Haruko shook his head sadly. "What's the matter, anyway? It's just friendly banter…"

Alkaid charged. "Shut up!"

The battle raged in silence for a few minutes, with all of the players losing health at about the same rate. Becoming desperate, Alkaid charged Haruko once again. "Enough of this! Just die already!"

Haruko's blades flew up and blocked her with a clang. "Why are you so angry with me, Alkaid-san?"

She forced his blades away, but he countered with a wind spell. "Because," she grunted, "You don't respect this place. All your talk of 'odds', and 'a show to remember', and so on… This is all just a big game to you! I won't lose to someone who doesn't take this place seriously!"

Haruko smiled gently, and then suddenly darted across the arena to protect Fata from a vicious attack from one of Alkaid's teammates. "You misunderstand, Alkaid-san," he said calmly, as he ran back over to attack her. "I have nothing but respect for the arena and for my opponents. But what's the point of this place if you don't also have fun with it?"

Alkaid stared. "Fun? What are you…"

Akiko darted in to try and take advantage of her confusion, but Haruko stepped in front. "Absolutely not, Akiko-kun. What are you thinking?"

Akiko snorted. "Her guard's down. If she gets attacked, it's her fault for not paying attention!"

Haruko's eyes were slits. "That was Sakaki-san's line of thought, back in the second match. Are you really no better than him?"

Akiko's eyes widened. "Of course… I…" He stopped, and slapped his forehead. "What was I thinking? Sorry, Haruko. I got so caught up in winning…"

Haruko dashed past him suddenly and knocked a charging enemy back with a Sword Dance. "Keep your guard up, Akiko-kun," he said, half-mockingly.

Akiko gave a roar of laughter and plunged after the flying Twin Blade, knocking her out with a well-placed Twin Moons.

Alkaid stared. "You…"

Haruko shrugged. "We can talk later. Now, let's fight!"

Alkaid grinned. "You said it. But first…" With Akiko open to attack after his last skill, Alkaid shot over and hit him with a Tri Strike that took his health to zero. Fata leapt back from her enemy and tried to revive Akiko with Rip Maen, but her opponent caught her and knocked her out.

Alkaid laughed. "Now it's two on one, Haruko! You're done!"

Haruko raised one eyebrow, and blasted Alkaid's teammate with a Zan Rom spell. "One on one, actually," he quipped, as his target collapsed to the floor.

Alkaid stared. "Just like that, huh? You're pretty good!" She dashed at him, and their twin blades crashed together. "But not good enough, I think!"

Haruko smiled, and then retaliated with a charged strike that shot Alkaid across the arena. "You thought wrong, then."

Infuriated, Alkaid flew across the arena and fired off a Sword Dance. Haruko was unable to guard in time, and fell to one knee, heavily damaged. Still, he was smiling. "Sorry, Alkaid-san. But I'm going to claim that Emperor's seat first!" He charged, and swung with all his force. "Sparrow Counter!" The point-blank attack left no time for Alkaid to block, and she crashed to the arena floor, defeated.

The arena erupted into cheers. "Amazing! Once again, Team Haruko has pulled a victory from the very jaws of defeat! Ladies and gentlemen, I give you your Demon Palace tournament champions: Team Haruko!"

Alkaid sat up and swore loudly. "How? How could I lose to you?"

She blinked as a hand suddenly entered her field of vision. "I think it was a bit of luck, this time," said Haruko's voice. "I only had 23 hit points left. If you'd gotten in another strike, or if your Sword Dance was just a little bit more powerful, I would have been done for."

Alkaid looked up to see Haruko smiling and extending his hand. "What do you want now?" she said grumpily. "Did you come just to rub my nose in the fact that I lost to a person like you?"

Haruko shrugged. "I still don't get what you mean by a 'person like me'. I told you, I respect the Arena very much. I just like to have fun while I'm here. Like this fight with you. I'd love to do it again some time."

Alkaid stared for a moment, and then smiled. "Are you selling me a rivalry, Haruko of the Emerald Winds?" she said smugly, taking his hand.

Haruko sighed as he helped her to her feet. "How does everybody keep finding out about that? That was my title back in R:1; I have a long way to go before I earn it in this game."

Alkaid chuckled. "I know. There aren't any Cobalt Knights for you to slaughter here." She burst out laughing at Haruko's shocked look. "Your little friend Mirelle has been pretty busy keeping everyone informed," she said.

Haruko slapped his forehead. "Mirelle-chan… I should have guessed. I knew she still had the video clip, but…"

Alkaid scratched her head. "You know, I still don't get how a Wavemaster managed to take out that many fighters. I mean, even with level 4 magic, there's a limit to how strong you can be, right?"

Haruko shrugged. "Well, I seem to recall that ending in a draw between Magi-san and myself."

Alkaid's eyes widened. "Oh yeah, that was amazing. Two high-level Wavemasters battling like that is a sight worth seeing. It's a shame that C.C. Corp removed the Wavemaster class for R:2, though. I don't get it… why wreck a perfectly good magic class by splitting it into three classes that each pale in comparison?"

Haruko shrugged. "No idea. I had my character data backed up on a flash drive, and petitioned C.C. Corp to use it to recreate the class, but… anyway, we should get going. But send me a short mail if you ever want a rematch, okay, Alkaid-chan?"

Alkaid spluttered for a moment. "Alkaid… chan?" she yelped. She scratched her cheek for a moment, and then giggled. "Fine, you can call me that if you want, Haruko. See ya!" She warped out, followed by her teammates. Haruko gazed around at the cheering crowds for a moment, and then warped out as well.


	9. New Friend

Outside, Atoli ran up to them. "That was amazing, everyone!"

Fata sighed. "I wasn't much use, though. Sorry…"

Haruko gave her an odd look. "What do you mean, Fata-chan? You managed to damage your opponent enough for me to finish her off. The only real problem was when you tried to revive Akiko-kun, and that was just an easy mistake. Just remember, don't try to heal if someone with a full Skill Trigger is nearby."

Fata nodded sadly. "That's exactly what I've forgotten, and you've told me it so many times… I'm so sorry. I wanted to be a help to you in the final match, and instead I ended up getting killed."

Haruko put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't be sorry, Fata-chan. And don't be sad. Those things aren't what the Arena's all about. Having fun, fighting in amazing battles, and-" he gave Alkaid a pointed look- "finding great rivals, that's what the Arena is for."

Atoli nodded. "I think I finally understand, Oniichan. About the Arena, I mean."

Haruko grinned. "I'm glad to hear it, Atoli. Someday, I think you'll make a great healer for some lucky Arena team. But…" He sighed. "Not just yet, all right? There are plenty of people like Bordeaux-san in the Arena who would take you down first, just for fun. And besides, your level's still pretty low, right?"

Atoli nodded glumly. "That's true. But you know me, I like to slow down and just watch sometimes."

Haruko smiled. "I like to do that too, sometimes. But I also make sure I train hard, to get stronger. Both of those things are part of this game."

Atoli nodded. "Right." She suddenly brightened up. "Hey, do you want to go see a field I heard about from Sakaki? He said it's really good for leveling up- for someone on my level, I mean."

Haruko grinned. "Sure. Let's go." The two of them walked to the Chaos Gate. A young, timid-looking Shadow Warlock stood there. Haruko paused. "Hey, what's up?"

The young player paused, pushing the tips of his fingers together. "Um…"

Haruko smiled kindly. "I'm Haruko, and this is Atoli. What's your name?"

The youth blushed slightly. "I'm Bo. Well, this character is named Sakubo, but that's because I share it with my sister Saku."

Haruko shrugged. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Bo-san. Atoli and I were just about to go to a field. Do you want to come along?"

Bo blinked. "Come along? You're really inviting me along to play?"

Haruko grinned. "Sure, why not? We need a third member anyway." He handed Bo his member address. "Let's see… You're at level 15, the same level as Atoli, so you should be fine for this field."

Atoli nodded. "Yeah. Come on, it'll be fun!"

Bo smiled shyly. "Thanks. All right, I'll join you." He joined the party.

At Mac Anu, Atoli turned to the Chaos Gate and began manipulating the controls. "Let's see… Sakaki said it was at ∆ Sacred Forbidden Bodhi Tree."

Haruko looked over her shoulder. "It's level 17. Way below mine, of course, but you and Bo-san should get plenty of experience from it."

Bo sighed. "Well, if the level's wrong for you, then…"

Haruko waved a hand. "Don't worry about it. I can level up whenever I feel like it. Hanging out with old friends and making new ones, though… that's well worth the extra time. Right, Atoli?"

Atoli smiled. "Right! Then let's go!"

Haruko shrugged. "You're the party leader. Ready? Bo-san, what about you?"

Bo nodded. "Um… I guess so…"

Atoli laughed. "Then onward to the field!"

∆ Sacred Forbidden Bodhi Tree turned out to be an ordinary grassy field. Grey clouds lined the sky, and a gentle rain fell. Atoli pouted. "Oh, it's raining!"

Haruko grinned. "You like sunny fields, Atoli?"

She nodded. "Of course. I love being able to see that bright blue sky, out in every direction. Rainy fields ruin the view."

Haruko shrugged. "I love rainy fields. Heck, I love the rain. I like looking at the sky, of course, but I've always liked clouds better. Have either of you ever been caught in a summer thunderstorm? It's a wonderful experience."

Bo shuddered. "I don't like thunder. It's scary."

Haruko laughed. "Yeah, I know. To be utterly at the mercy of Nature is an awe-inspiring experience. That's why I love it so much. And of course spring rains are nice too. They bring life back into the world after the bleak winters."

Atoli smiled. "I guess. I always used to hide when thunder came. You too, right Bo?"

Bo nodded. Haruko shrugged. "I always used to watch at the window when it came. But enough about the weather. Let's go crush some monsters, eh?"

Atoli raised her staff. "Yeah, let's go!"

Bo sighed. "I guess…"

Haruko paused. "Oh, before I forget, here." He handed a Halcyon Scroll to Atoli. "I bought this yesterday. With this, you can get the attack spell Lei Zas. It should come in handy, since clerics don't have much attack power."

Bo watched the exchange silently, and sighed.

The first group was a pair of Angelic Gores, large, tattooed behemoths capable of inflicting heavy damage with a single blow. Haruko darted in and sliced one in half with a single blow from his katana. "The other one's all yours!" he called.

Atoli nodded. "Right! Lei Zas!" A sphere of light shot out of her hand and pierced through the monster.

Bo raised his grimoire. "Vak Don!" he called, as fireballs fell and pelted the creature.

Annoyed, the creature raised its fist and charged Bo. He couldn't raise his guard in time, and took the full brunt of the monster's attack.

Atoli turned, concern in her eyes. "Bo!"

Haruko darted across the field. "You keep attacking, Atoli! I'll help Bo-san, so don't worry." He ran up next to Bo and began healing him with his supply of potions.

Behind him, Atoli kept chipping away at the monster's health, while dodging its fearsome attacks. Soon enough, its HP was dwindling, and Bo was fully restored. "Gan Bolg!" he cried, and crushed it beneath a shower of rocks.

Haruko grinned. "Not bad, Bo-san. You finished it off!"

Atoli ran over, staff at the ready. "We did it! Do you need any healing, Bo?"

Bo shook his head. "No. I'm all right. But Haruko, why did you use up all those potions on me? Someone who can just give away scrolls like that must have at least a Repth spell. Why didn't you just use that?"

Haruko blinked. "Well, I do have Repth and Ul Repth, but why not? I've got plenty of potions, and besides, you needed them."

Bo shook his head. "I don't know. It's just…" He twisted a lock of blond hair around his finger. "Never mind, it's nothing."

Haruko frowned. "Well, if you say so," he mused. "Anyway, there's still plenty of monsters to take out." He kicked open the treasure box and pulled out a Symbol Fragment. "Okay, so it's a Beast Temple mission. Let's go find the other two fragments!"

Atoli nodded. "Okay!"

Haruko paused and examined the reward for beating the monsters. "Say… since when did scrolls come as a battle reward?" He shrugged. "Repth… do you want this one, Bo-san? After all, Shadow Warlocks have pretty minimal healing."

Bo blinked. "O-okay." Haruko grinned and used the Healing Scroll on him. Bo nodded. "Thanks. That was really nice of you."

Haruko grinned. "Any time, Bo-san. Now, let's go smash some enemies!"

The trio fought their way through several monsters on their way to the Beast Temple. A few times, either Atoli or Bo took a powerful hit, and once Bo was even knocked out, but Haruko was always there, melding his items with Atoli's healing abilities to keep everyone healthy. After about half an hour of fighting, they finally had collected the three Symbol Fragments, and stood in front of the Beast Statue. Haruko bent and extracted an item. "Whoa!" he exclaimed. "Sakaki-san picked a good area, all right. I bet Mirelle-chan would have traded that Golden Grunty of hers for this in a heartbeat!"

Atoli stared at the musty-looking book in his hands. "What is it? Is it a rare item?"

Haruko grinned almost manically. "It's an ultra-rare item, Atoli! This is a Grimoire of True Names, a powerful weapon that enhances the magic of the one who possesses it!" He gazed at it almost lovingly.

Suddenly, he turned and offered it to Bo. "You deserve this, Bo-san," he said, smiling. "You did really well today. And besides, you're the only one who can wield it."

Atoli smiled. "Yeah, that would be perfect for a Shadow Warlock like you!"

Bo blinked. "But… you could get a lot of GP selling that, couldn't you? If it's so rare, I mean. Why give it to a newbie like me, instead of trading it for something for yourself?"

Haruko blinked. "Why not? You could certainly use this item. I mean, look at its ability! A 10 increase to all your spell damage!"

Bo shook his head. "No. All I did was keep using up all of your Healing Serums and Health Drinks. You should be able to get them back and more if you sell that."

Haruko stared. "But I don't want to get them back like that. Besides, I told you, I have plenty of potions. Just take the grimoire!"

Bo shook his head. "No! Not until you tell me why you're being so nice to me!"

Atoli put a hand on his shoulder. "Bo…"

Haruko shook his head. "All right. Let's go outside and talk, then."

Outside, Haruko sat and gazed up at the stormy skies for a moment. He motioned for Bo and Atoli to sit beside him. "So, what's upsetting you, Bo-san?" he asked.

Bo sat down, head bent. "Why are you being so nice to me, Haruko? I only just met you today, and all I've done so far is get in the way of you guys having fun."

Haruko stared. "Get in the way? What are you talking about? We had fun because you were there with us, fighting and getting stronger as we did."

Bo shook his head. "You would have had more fun without someone like me hanging around. And you, Haruko- you didn't get stronger at all! I can see you taking some time and helping someone like Atoli level up, because you're obviously close friends. But you don't know me at all, and you invite me along anyway. I just don't get it…"

Haruko smiled. "I helped you because… because I just wanted to, that's all. I like giving others help. You seemed kind of like you needed it, so I gave it to you."

Bo shook his head violently. "But that's what I don't understand! You're giving up nearly an hour of game time, and a few thousand GP worth of potions, and you're getting nothing back! Nobody's like that."

Atoli glared at Bo. "Don't talk about my Oniichan like that! Haruko's a good person, who just likes to help people. I may not understand why he does what he does all the time-" she glanced at him and smiled- "but I always trust that he's trying to do the right thing. I believe in him."

Bo stared. "Onii…chan?"

Haruko laughed. "You were half-right, Bo-san. Atoli and I are close friends- like brother and sister, even though we're not blood relations. But you… I saw you there, sitting by the Chaos Gate alone, and I thought that you could use a friend. That's all."

Bo bent his head and shook gently. "A friend…" he sobbed.

Haruko put a hand gently on his back. "Of course, Bo-san. Why else would I be so nice to you? You're not just some stranger, you're my friend." He grinned sheepishly. "If you want me as one, that is."

"Well, isn't that sweet? The little loner made himself his first friend." The voice was cool, female and seductive. "Oh, well. Since you don't want that rare item, I guess I'll just take it off of your hands for you!"

Haruko whirled around, eyes narrow. "Bordeaux. How… _nice_ of you to drop by. If you've come to congratulate me, though, you're a bit early. The title match isn't until next week."

Bordeaux laughed softly. "Always the little joker, aren't we Haruko? I love that about you. In fact, I could just…"

Haruko drew out his blades. "Don't even think about saying 'love you to death', Bordeaux. There are anime characters with less annoying lines than that."

Bordeaux laughed. "Negimaru! Grein! Let's have us some fun, shall we?"

Her two henchmen popped up behind the group. Negimaru leered at them. "Well, little Atoli, I still owe you from a few weeks ago. Now let's see… Oh, I know! I'll make sure to PK you last of all, so you can see how pathetic your friends look when they're sprawled dead on the ground!"

Grein snorted, but kept silent. Bo and Atoli backed up against Haruko, looking at these two new enemies with fear. Haruko ground his teeth. "I don't think I can take them all on my own," he muttered. "They've been putting a lot of hours into leveling up, and without Akiko-kun by my side, I'm just not as strong."

Bordeaux laughed. "Oh, you've got that right, Haruko. This won't be anything like the last time we met. I'm going to carve you up like… whatever it is you Americans eat for Thanksgiving."

Haruko caught Bordeaux's flying sword on his twin blades and grinned maddeningly. "You've obviously never encountered a wild turkey. They can be nasty fighters." He turned his head. "Atoli! Get Bo-san out of here, now!" With one hand, he tossed her the grimoire. "And keep this safe, too. I still want him to have it, you hear?"

Bo stared. Atoli pulled him by the arm. "Come on, we have to go now!"

Bo pulled back. "No way! We can't just leave Haruko here!"

Haruko laughed. "Sure you can. I just told you to. Now, get out of the field, quickly!"

Negimaru laughed. "You're not going anywhere, girly!" he leered.

Haruko raised his free hand, fire in his eyes. "I just said she was. Learn to _listen_, Negimaru-san." A wind spell erupted in front of Atoli and Bo; Negimaru was caught square in the center of it. He turned to Atoli. "Now go, before they totally surround you!"

Atoli dashed off, pulling Bo. "He'll be fine, Bo. You and I just have to worry about ourselves, okay?"

Bordeaux leapt back from Haruko and charged Atoli, swinging her sword wildly. "Worry all you want, you're still going to… DIE!"

Atoli spun around and raised her staff. "Lei Zas!" she shouted. The sphere of light knocked Bordeaux head-over-heels and opened the path to the platform. Atoli sighed as they reached it. "Safe. Let's get out of here, Bo."

Bo shook his head. "If you want a friend, you have to be a friend first," he muttered to himself, over and over, like a mantra. With a sudden movement, he snatched the grimoire from Atoli's hand and dashed towards the fray, where Haruko was being assailed on three sides by Bordeaux's minions.

A new voice suddenly cut in. "That's better, Bo! And here I thought you'd never grow a backbone."

Bo blanched. "Don't take over, Saku. I have to help him."

Saku laughed. "Of course I won't now, Bo. I'm not evil, after all. Why would I get in the way of you helping a friend?"

Bo nodded. "Okay. Then let's do this! Vak Don!" Fireballs rained down on Negimaru's head. He yelped and spun around.

Haruko took advantage of this and clubbed him over the back of his head with the hilt of his sword. Negimaru chuckled hoarsely and fell over.

Bordeaux sneered up at this new arrival. "Well, aren't we the little hero? Come to watch your friend get killed?"

Bo shook his head. "No. I'm going to stop you!"

Haruko glared up at him. "Bo-san, I told you to get out of here! Forget about me! I didn't even get any EXP or items worth mentioning, so there's no reason to get killed over me!"

Bo smiled. "But Haruko, I just thought… you could use a friend."

Atoli ran up beside him. "That's right, Haruko. And besides, even if we can't damage her much, we can still interrupt their skills."

Haruko hung his head for a moment. Then, he burst out laughing. "Isn't anybody going to listen when I tell them to run?" he chuckled. "Fine, but keep your distance. Either of these two could take you out with one hit."

Atoli nodded. "Got it, Oniichan."

Bo smiled. "Roger!"

Bordeaux broke out laughing. "Oh, this is rich. You seriously think you'll beat us with a pair of low-level magic users? Even if you were a Descendant of Fianna once, you're nothing but a normal player now!"

Haruko sighed calmly. "I never was anything but a normal player, Bordeaux. I wasn't any stronger than other players, even if I did clear that event."

Atoli stared. "No way… there was a third player who cleared The One Sin?"

Haruko laughed, whirling his blades as he warded off attacks from both sides. "How do you people keep finding out about these things? I kept that a secret deliberately. Didn't want any of the celebrity that came with it, you know?" He spun lightly on his heel, sidestepped an overhand blow from Grein's broadsword, and struck him point-blank with a Sword Dance.

Bordeaux shrugged. "Well, it helps that little Mirelle is such a loudmouth. But really, after our match I went and bought all the information I could find on you. It wasn't easy, either. Yata's prices are steep, you know?"

Haruko sighed, and blocked Grein's next two-handed blow. "They always were. But somehow they always were fair enough that you couldn't get angry with him."

Bordeaux raised her sword high as Grein and Haruko grappled. "That's it, hold him there, Grein!"

A ball of light blasted into her face and made her stumble. Haruko slid to one side, whirled around, and took full advantage of this new opening. As his blades cut into her, Atoli and Bo joined in with spells from the back. Bordeaux gasped as rings suddenly appeared around her character.

Haruko grinned. "Rengeki! Tri-Strike!" he yelled wildly, and launched a high-power arts attack. Bordeaux groaned and fell to the ground.

Grein stared. "You!" he yelled. Haruko grinned and darted out from under his attack. A trio of katana hits to his back, and a powerful Vak Don from Bo, and he fell over as well.

Bordeaux coughed. "Man… you really are a Descendent, aren't you?"

Haruko grinned. "True enough. Balmung-sama always did say that I'd be strong no matter what character I used. The strength of the three Descendents of Fianna comes from the player behind the character."

Bordeaux snorted. "And that's why I'll always lose? Don't make me laugh. I'll get you next time." She faded out and vanished.

Haruko sighed. "Atoli, Bo-san, are you all right?"

Atoli nodded. "Yes. We're both fine."

Bo smiled. "You did it, Haruko! That was amazing!"

Haruko waved a hand. "No, it was nothing. If you guys hadn't kept interrupting every skill they threw at me, I'd have been in real trouble." He walked over to the other two. "All right, let's get out of here before more of those PKers show up."

Bo paused. "You should take this back," he said, holding out the book. "You fought so hard to protect us back there, and I didn't…"

Haruko pushed the book away. "Yes you did. I told you to go, but you came back for me, even though Bordeaux could have killed you in one shot. You deserve it even more after that."

Bo blinked. "But…"

Haruko grinned. "Just take it, all right?"

Bo paused for a moment, and then nodded. "All right." He broke into a wide smile. "Thanks so much, Haruko."

Haruko smiled and shrugged. "Any time, Bo-kun."

Bo nodded happily. "Oh, hang on a second…" He stood motionless for a moment. Then, a smug look came onto his face, and his voice shifted.

"So, you're the guy who's been helping out my idiot brother, eh?"

Haruko blinked. "Oh, are you his sister?"

Saku smirked. "That's right. I'm Saku, the older sister." She glanced down at the book in her hands. "Hey, this is a pretty cool item. You're really going to give this to us?" She smirked. "Well, I guess you're not that bad of a guy after all."

Haruko made a mock bow. "Well, thank you," he grinned. "It's nice to meet you, Saku-san."

Saku shrugged. "Yeah, yeah. Okay, I'll let Bo finish up here." She waved one hand. "I don't understand you, Haruko, but then again, this is 'The World', after all. You never know who you'll meet." She stood still for a moment again.

Haruko sighed as Bo blinked and scratched his head. "So, I guess we're done here, then?"

Atoli frowned. "It doesn't seem right, though… aha!" She waved as Matsu came wandering up. "Hey, Matsu! Could you do us a favor?"

Matsu grinned. "Hey, Atoli! What's up?"

Atoli giggled. "Matsu, this is Bo. We just met him today, and I thought we should have something to remember it…"

Matsu laughed. "Oh, a screenshot? Sure thing! I'll send it to all three of you. Let's see… how about posing by the Chaos Gate, back in Mac Anu?"

The three party members looked at each other and nodded in unison. "That would be nice," said Bo. "Okay, let's go."

Haruko grinned. "Sure. But what were you doing here, anyway?"

Matsu smiled. "Atoli called me. She said you needed help with a gang of PKers, but it looks like you beat them off on your own."

Haruko shrugged. "Yeah, thanks to Atoli and Bo-kun. They stopped them from using skills, and since I'm so light and fast, I could evade their regular attacks and go from there."

Matsu nodded. "Very nice. You two did really well. Now, let's go get that picture, eh?"

The three of them nodded in unison, and warped out at the platform.

A moment later, Matsu followed them through. "All right, now, let me know when you're ready."

Atoli ran up quickly and grabbed onto Haruko's arm with one hand, and raised her left hand, two fingers raised in a victory pose.

Haruko shrugged, then drew out his sword with his free right hand and placed it over his shoulder in a casual pose.

Bo stood on Haruko's right, blushing. In the crook of his left arm, he held the grimoire the three had won in the field. He held his right arm close to him, his fist clenched. A shy smile spread across his face.

Matsu's eyes lit up. "Yeah! That's perfect! Now hold still for a second, all right?"

Later that day, Haruko opened up his mail and smiled. "Matsu-kun was right. That was perfect," he mused, gazing at the screenshot.


	10. Sempai

The next week passed without incident, and without even a whisper of AIDA's presence, and the day of the Demon Palace title match dawned brightly. Haruko logged in early, determined not to be late this time. Atoli was waiting for him near the registration counter. "Hello, Oniichan," she said, giggling. "It's really nice to have someone to call that, isn't it?"

Haruko grinned. "Yeah. Although, I use 'Oniisan' with my older brother. We're… not so close anymore. A disagreement about how things should be done in this place. He chose the C.C. Corporation, and I… I chose the Twilight." He smiled. "Don't worry. I don't have any regrets about it. I just wish he'd open his eyes to the beauty of that light…" He looked wistful for a moment.

Atoli sighed. "And I wish…" She shook her head, suddenly cheerful. "No, it's nothing. So, it's almost time for the title match against… who is the Emperor now, anyways?"

Haruko sighed. "It's Antares, my sempai."

Atoli blinked. "Sempai?"

Haruko nodded. "Yeah. He's trained me extensively in some advanced tactics for 'The World'. He is, in part, the reason we made it so far."

Atoli shook her head, confused. "And you're going to fight him?"

Haruko grinned. "Yeah. I think, all this time, he's been trying to train a worthy successor. A title match is a little different. Emperors rise and fall, but in the end both the winners and the losers are always honored, no matter how short their reign."

Atoli sighed. "I just don't get it…"

Haruko smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. "That's all right. Watch us, then, and maybe you'll come to see what I mean." He turned and walked to the warp point as Henako and Akiko ran up from the other side, eager to begin the match.

In the arena, Haruko and the others stood atop their pedestal. Haruko tapped his foot. "Where's the enemy? Did they chicken out?" he muttered.

A gruff voice cut across his thoughts. "Chicken out? Feh! Don't you have any respect for your master, kohai?"

Haruko grinned as a masked Blade Brandier warped in. "Of course I do, sempai."

Henako stared. "The Emperor Antares himself… I heard he's got some kind of troll mask under that white one, and if you ever pull it off…"

Akiko raised a hand. "I know it's been a while, but spare us the outburst this time, Henako. Antares is tough, but there's no way that even he would show up alone."

As if to illustrate his point, two more figures warped in across the arena. One, a Blade Brandier with long blue hair and purple armor, was immediately recognizable. "Endrance-san, it's been a while," called Haruko. "Are you going to fight me too?"

The third was a shock to all three members. The tall Steam Gunner wore yellow clothes that would have seemed more at home on a medieval page, and his long blue hair curved in a long ponytail down his back. He grinned as Haruko stared. "Kuhn? You too?"

Antares gave a gruff laugh. "That's right, kohai. Your master is going to give you your final test, here and now. And two of your strongest friends have agreed to help me with it."

Kuhn grinned. "Don't hate us for it, guys, but I'm going to come at you with all I've got. Don't hold back, okay?"

Endrance sighed in a detached sort of way. "Haruko… you've been a good friend to me. But you will have to get past me to reach the Emperor's seat."

Haruko grinned and tightened his grip on his blades. "Antares-sempai, Kuhn, and Endrance-san…"

Akiko laughed. "Yeah, we couldn't ask for a better trio to test our skills against, could we?"

Henako nodded. "Even if he does have two of the biggest heartthrobs in the game as his teammates, Antares is going down!"

Haruko stared. "Um… Henako, you're the only girl here. Why would that matter to me or Akiko?"

Henako shrugged. "I don't know, I just wanted to say something cool." She twirled her staff expertly. "Okay, let's get going then!"

Haruko rolled his eyes. "We have to wait for the announcer's usual warm-up talk, remember?"

Up above, the announcer was in full swing. "Ladies and gentlemen, it is time at last for the Demon Palace title match! First, we have the absolutely incandescent Team Haruko! After a crushing victory over Team Bordeaux, an amazing, last-second victory over Team Matsu, and a heroic battle against Team Alkaid, they now stand poised to take the Demon Palace, as they challenge the stars themselves! But against them stands Antares, the first and current Emperor, along with the enigmatic Endrance and the highly charismatic Kuhn! Will Team Haruko claim their place as stars today? Or will Emperor Antares, the character whose shares his very name with a star, stop them in their tracks? Ladies and gentlemen, the title match begins noooow!"

As the teams warped down to the arena floor, Antares hmphed. "Listen, kohai, don't hold back on us just because I'm your master. Or because Kuhn and Endrance are your friends, either."

Haruko grinned wryly. "I wouldn't dream of it, sempai."

Antares laughed. "Well then, prove it! And if you win this match… I'll have nothing more to teach you. Should you pull off another miracle…"

Haruko nodded. "Stop calling you 'sempai', right?" He drew out his katana and flourished it. "Very well. Let's fight, with nobody holding back."

Antares nodded in approval as he drew out a fiery orange katana of his own. "Right. Your final test begins now, kohai!" He charged, and the other five combatants soon followed.

Immediately, Antares and Haruko clashed against each other, while Akiko drew his lance and went after Kuhn. Endrance, moving with his usual laconic energy, made to join Antares, but found himself confronted by Henako, who whirled her staff with surprising speed to block his every strike. Frustrated, Endrance tried to break her guard with a fierce Lateral Moon attack, but Haruko dashed in front and countered with Ogre Sword, and added a quick follow-up strike for good measure. "How'd you like that? My Soryusen!" he said, his voice energetic and happy.

Across the arena, Akiko caught the odd attack name and stopped dead for a moment. "Sora-kun?" he muttered softly. Kuhn saw his opportunity and struck hard with a Plectra Bullet attack. Haruko was forced to draw his twin blades and fight Endrance and Antares at the same time so that Henako could focus on healing Akiko. "Hey, stay focused, Akiko-kun!" he called, as he blocked a vicious strike from Antares and whirled to hit Endrance across the chest.

Enraged, Akiko took his next opportunity and pummeled Kuhn with an Armor Pierce attack that left him with only a few hit points. Endrance saw this and tried to help, but Henako cut him off with a Rue Kruz spell of her own. Endrance gave a low moan as his own hit points fell below 100. Antares, now the only really healthy party member left, hit Henako with everything he had. Kuhn joined in with another Plectra Bullet and took her out of the fight.

All of these skills flying around left Haruko with an opening. He took it, dispatching Kuhn with a Zan Rom spell and finishing Endrance's last hit points with a swift twin blade combo. Akiko crowed and charged Antares. Antares turned with a snarl, and seemed to flicker. Suddenly, he was in front of Akiko, counterattacking with an Ogre Sword strike. Akiko crashed into the barrier and slumped to the arena floor.

Haruko stared around at the carnage, and then began to laugh. "Man… this is really an amazing battle, sempai. Too bad I'll have to end it with my blade." He sheathed his twin blades and pulled out his katana once again.

Antares chuckled. "Don't get too full of yourself. You're still my kohai, after all."

Haruko shrugged, then charged Antares. As their blades ground together, he smiled. "That will change sooner than you might think, sempai."

For about five minutes, the arena sat hushed as the two fighters clashed against one another, sparks flying as blades struck each other, and occasionally the fighters. Eventually, both fighters sat panting. Haruko smiled. "I don't think… either of us has many hit points left. I guess the next strike will finish it?"

Antares raised his sword high. "Absolutely. Let's go… Haruko."

Haruko nodded, noting the sudden change in address. "Okay, sempai," he said softly, and then charged.

There was a flash of light, the two bladesmen flew past each other… and then Antares groaned and fell to one knee. Haruko sighed with relief. "With just one hit point left, too," he said, panting hard. "But I still win."

Antares laughed. "That you do. Well done, Haruko. Even I couldn't stop you. The Emperor's throne is yours."

Haruko laughed. "Thank you for everything… sempai." He sighed. "But I guess this is the last time I can call you that, right?"

Antares nodded, getting shakily to his feet. "That's true. I'm not your master anymore, Haruko. You've surpassed me, after all these weeks of training."

Haruko grinned impishly. "Okay then, Antares-jiisan."

Even with the mask on, Haruko could tell that Antares' eyes were bulging out. "What? When did I give a little whelp like you permission to call me 'old man'? I give you one little complement, and you think you can just… just…"

Haruko laughed. "What's the matter, Antares-jiisan? I thought elders were respected in Japan as well as in America."

Antares spluttered incoherently for a while, and then sighed. "Fine, call me whatever you want. I know you don't mean it as an insult. Just don't forget, Haruko, the Emperor's throne is not something to be taken lightly."

Haruko sighed. "Antares-jiisan… why did you train me so well? You knew that I'd eventually make my way through the ranks and surpass you."

Antares smiled. "I was counting on it. Nobody should hold the Emperor's throne for long. It's not something that one person should take, and hold on to forever. An undefeatable Emperor shouldn't exist. That's why I trained you. I knew that you would be a truly great successor to me, and that you in turn would know when it was time to yield, and gracefully give up the throne when that time came." He paused, and then laughed. "Man, I don't usually say so much! It must be the booze talking."

One of Haruko's eyes twitched. "Are you drunk again, Antares-jiisan?"

Antares laughed. "Not this time, kid. But I had you going, didn't I?"

Haruko rolled his eyes, and then laughed so hard he fell to one knee. "Yeah, you did. I've got to learn to stop falling for that."

Antares helped him up. As they warped out together, he laughed again. "Well, I guess I've still got one thing left to teach you, then."

Author's Note: I see there are some honorifics I forgot to explain earlier... my bad!

Sempai/kohai: This is a pair of honorifics, denoting a fairly common relationship in Japan. Although it's a bit more complicated, the relationship is similar to a "master-apprentice" or "mentor-student" relationship; by using "sempai", Haruko is giving Antares respect as his mentor.

(O)jiisan- The word "ojiisan" on its own simply means "grandfather". However, it can also be used as an honorific with any older person; a general translation would be something like "old man" or "gramps". So, when Haruko calls Antares by "jiisan", he's basically calling him "Old Man Antares". (In a joking manner, of course.)

Well, we've got just two chapters left of part one. For everyone who's stuck with me this far, thanks a lot. Hopefully the ending won't disappoint. :D


	11. Shadow From the Past

Outside the Arena, Atoli was waiting for them. However, before she could do anything besides wave, there was a yell of "Haruko! Haruko! Yay!" and what appeared to be a furry cannonball shot across the arena's front and crashed into Haruko. Completely taken off guard, Haruko fell on his face, crushed under the newcomer. A loud giggle fell upon his ears, as the cannonball stopped moving long enough for the others to see that it was a cute Lei tribe character with cat's ears and a long tail. She wore a simple, low-cut pink outfit that showed off her large chest, and her hands were obscured by a pair of gauntlets that looked like stuffed yellow tiger's paws.

Haruko made a muffled noise, and the cat-girl giggled and got off of him. "Sorry, Haruko," she said. "I guess I got a little excited, with the match and all. I can't believe it! The new Demon Emperor, Haruko!"

Haruko sat up stiffly, dusting himself off. "Oh, boy," he said, faking exasperation. "I'd know that goofy voice anywhere." He turned, a big grin on his face. "And there's the goofy player behind it! Tabby-chan, it's been ages!" He hugged her briefly.

Tabby laughed. "Yeah, more than a month! I don't think we've seen each other since the Brigade broke up."

Atoli blinked. "Is this… a friend of yours, Oniichan?"

Tabby turned to Atoli, her eyes somehow both surprised and amused at the same time. "Oniichan, huh? He never asked me to call him anything like that." She gave Haruko a mock pout.

"Well, of course not. Even if he wanted you to, you would have refused and tried to call me that instead." An oddly designed Steam Gunner walked up, a relaxed, amused look on his face. This new character wore a simple leather aviator's helmet and a short mantle that fell to slightly above his waist. Large goggles made his face look a bit ridiculous, an effect enhanced by what looked like leaves sprouting from the helmet, but they also held an odd charm. Strapped to his back was a round _tinbe_ shield. He gave Haruko a half-smile. "Congratulations, Emperor. We saw the match."

Tabby grinned even wider. "Yep! It was amazing!"

Haruko laughed. "So, Sakisaka-san, what are you perplexed about these days?"

Sakisaka gave him an exasperated look. "Nothing, actually. I'm going to have to figure out a new catch-phrase…"

Seeing Atoli's confused look, Haruko turned to her. "Sakisaka-san and Tabby-chan are both friends of mine. They were both in a guild called the Twilight Brigade, which was led by Ovan, that Steam Gunner we met at Arche Koeln. Remember?"

Atoli nodded hesitantly. Haruko plunged on. "Well, Ovan and I never got along very well, but most of the other guild members were nice enough. We Twilight Guardians used to be allied with them."

Atoli nodded. "I see. So that's why you know them so well. But what about the 'perplexed' thing?"

Sakisaka rolled his eyes. "Well, I always used to say that 'I'm perplexed that I joined this guild, and I'm surprised that I'm still in it.' The other guild members always used to call it 'the Sakisaka catch-phrase'. That's what Haruko was referring to- now that the Brigade has disbanded, he was wondering what I have left to be perplexed about."

Atoli smiled. "Oh, now I get it. So, any ideas for a new one, Sakisaka?"

Sakisaka shrugged. "Nothing yet. But I'll figure it out eventually. Either that, or I'll decide to let the idea of a Sakisaka catch-phrase die out along with the Brigade."

Tabby smiled. "So… I know you don't have anything to do in the afternoons, Haruko, so do you want to come to a field with us? You always used to love playing with us…" She gave Haruko a look reminiscent of a sad puppy- impressive for a player with a cat-girl avatar.

Haruko shrugged. "Sure, why not? Atoli, everyone, I'll see you later!"

Antares laughed. "Fight on, Haruko! Do your former master proud!"

Haruko nodded. "You know it!"

Back in Mac Anu, Sakisaka paused before the Chaos Gate. "Hmmm… now where should we warp to?" he muttered.

Haruko twitched as a short mail arrived. "Huh… unknown sender. Now who would…?" He shook his head. Only Zefie-chan ever did that. He read the mail silently. _Please come to ∆Grieving Cursed Berserker at once. You will learn something to your advantage. You may bring friends, if you so desire._

Haruko frowned. "Not Zefie-chan, then…" he muttered. He showed the message to Sakisaka and Tabby.

Tabby was excited. "Oooh, I bet it's some sort of super-secret event that someone wanted to clue us in on!"

Sakisaka shrugged. "More likely, it has something to do with the guild. Or maybe it's about the Key?" He frowned. "Maybe Ovan- he sometimes sent messages without revealing the sender. Didn't you say you ran into him at Arche Koeln?"

Haruko nodded. "Yeah, briefly. He was as eccentric as ever. Well, what have we got to lose? Let's check it out." _Even if something shows up, I have my Avatar. But there shouldn't be any trouble._

Sakisaka, meanwhile, was manipulating the Chaos Gate. "Grieving… Cursed… Berserker. Level 35, and not the usual design either. Looks interesting. And I heard that using 'Cursed' as the second word makes Unlucky Animals pop up, which means I might finally finish that set of Lucky Data and get a rare item." He sighed. "Man, that was an annoying quest. It's so much work tracking down all those rare Luckies…"

Tabby smiled. "Well, okay, let's go!" she shouted.

Sakisaka nodded, raised his blade, and the three players warped.

The field certainly was different from the usual grassy type that dominated the Delta server. The ground was barren and lifeless, and the stage itself was cracked, black rock. Furious waves dashed against high cliffs that bordered the area as rain fell from the grey skies. Sakisaka gazed around. "Man, this place is weird… and where are the monsters?"

Tabby pointed at a towering, tree-like creature. "There's one!" she shouted excitedly. "Let's go!" She darted at it and fired off a surprise attack, and followed up with a frenzy of jabs.

Haruko and Sakisaka ran up beside her. "Don't keep rushing in like that, Tabby!" complained Sakisaka. "You should figure out what you're up against first!"

Tabby grinned and rubbed the back of her head. "Yeah, I know, but sometimes it's fun to just plunge in, right?" She leapt back nimbly as a huge branch fell in front of her. "Whoops! Not today, tree boy!"

Haruko laughed. "She's got a point," he said, and attacked the creature, his blades whirling. As he targeted it, he noticed its name was 'Treant'.

Sakisaka sighed. "Nobody ever listens to me…" he groaned. Taking advantage of the large number of hits that Tabby and Haruko had already inflicted, he dashed in and fired off a Rengeki attack that toppled the Treant. "Heh… nothing to it!" he said, giving the others a thumbs-up.

Haruko blinked. "Wow… it shouldn't have fallen that easily. I'm only level 37, after all…"

Tabby grinned. "I'm going to catch up if you're not careful."

Sakisaka gave his usual half-smile. "Yeah, we're both level 32 already. You're slipping, Emperor!"

Behind him, the monster suddenly rose to its feet. Sakisaka whirled around. "What? Where did that come from?"

Haruko's eyes narrowed. "It couldn't be…" he muttered.

Sakisaka sighed. "Now I see it." He pointed at a smaller creature that seemed to be nesting in the top of the tree. "That creature up there can heal it. It's weird, though. I've never heard of a creature that can use Rip Maen…"

Haruko frowned. "There used to be monsters like that. Mimiru-chan told me once… but why here?" He shrugged. "In any case, that's a separate monster. Easily dealt with. Zan Rom!" The powerful wind spell ripped through the healing monster, and it crumbled into dust. Haruko grinned. "Not so tough once you figure it out."

The three players renewed their assault on the Treant. Under their combined assault, its HP quickly dropped. "King Hammer!" shouted Tabby. With three powerful strikes, the Treant turned grey and vanished into smoke. Tabby pumped her fist in the air as all three players leveled up.

Haruko frowned. "And that's odd too. That's how the monsters used to disappear, in the first version of 'The World'. They don't do that anymore. Why would it change back here, in this field?"

A cold voice spoke. "So, you defeated the Treant, and its Guardian Spirit. Very impressive. My mistress will be quite pleased."

The others whirled around. A robed and hooded figure stood behind them. Tabby smiled. "Oh, are you the one who mailed Haruko? So, what's the event here?"

Haruko's eyes narrowed. "You look very familiar…" He shrugged, and then smiled. "So, are you the informant? What did you want to tell me? Is it about the comatose players?"

The figure threw back its hood. Green hair and a headband rimmed a smug, smiling face. "Indeed, Haruko, friend of Aura. The information is… that you will be joining them!" He flung out a hand.

Instantly, the rain stopped, and swirling black clouds covered the sky. In moments, the sky was black. Tabby and Sakisaka stared around, afraid. "What's going on?" Tabby whined. "I don't like this event anymore…"

Haruko stared, stock-still. "Sora-kun…" A wild look came into his eyes. "You! What do you know about AIDA?"

The Sora look-alike seemed puzzled. "AIDA? What are you talking about?"

Haruko frowned. "Morganna, then! What is your connection to her? And why do you have Sora-kun's character?"

The enemy paused. "You know my lady's name…" He gave a wicked grin. "She will be most pleased! Three strong young sacrifices, and in addition, one of the few enemies she has left will die as well!" He laughed. "I am Pyrrhia, the Ruby Flame! Look upon Death and perish!" He raised his hand, and black fissures opened in the rock, shattering the landscape. Stray code pieces flew everywhere.

Haruko's eyes were wide with fear. _My dream…_ He spun around to face the other two. "Tabby-chan! Sakisaka-san! Run, now!"

Sakisaka stared. "What?"

Tabby shrugged. "Don't be so dramatic, Haruko. It's just an event, after all. I was scared for a minute, too, but it's fine. Even if it's the wrong time of year for a horror event, it's not like anything can go wrong."

Haruko shook his head frantically. "No, it's not just an event!"

Tabby laughed. "Relax, Haruko. That guy's just a crazy NPC."

Behind her, the graphics rippled. Slowly, a red cross began to emerge. A ring surrounded the cross' center, giving it a bizarre, fearsome look.

Sakisaka saw it and leapt back. "Tabby! Get out of there!"

Tabby blinked. "Huh?" She turned around. "Oh, wow… this is a pretty complicated event."

Pyrrhia sneered. "Silly girl, you still think it's just an event? Well, you'll make a fine sacrifice, regardless."

Tabby yelped as the cross suddenly drew her to itself, lifting her high in the air. "O-okay, fun's over. You can put me down now."

Haruko ran towards her as light flared in Pyrrhia's hand. "Orca-sama… Shino-chan… Sora-kun…" he said. "No more. I won't let you hurt any more of my friends!"

Pyrrhia gave a high, cackling laugh. "Let me? You fool! That girl will be sacrificed to Lady Morganna, and you will soon follow her!" A spear of white light leapt from his hands, and struck out to spear Tabby through the heart. She let out a high scream as it flew towards her.

Out of nowhere, a wall of golden light erupted in the path of the light. Pyrrhia's Data Drain crashed into the wall and fizzled out. The wall faded, leaving Haruko standing in front of the cross, his bracelet flaring with a blinding light. "It's all right, Tabby-chan," he said, panting. "I'll protect you, no matter what. I will not let him hurt you."

His face suddenly changed, a fierce, insane look in his eyes. "And you!" he shouted at Pyrrhia. "You bastard… you take the face of my closest friend and greatest rival, and then try and hurt Tabby-chan? I'll kill you!"

Pyrrhia backed up, startled. "Th-that bracelet…" he stammered. "You…" He shook his head violently. Tabby let out a squeak as the cross faded into smoke and she dropped to the ground. Sakisaka darted over and caught her. "Very well," Pyrrhia said. "For now, your pitiful lives are spared. I must consult with my mistress regarding this unfortunate turn of events. But mark my words! I will return, and in the end, this world will be ours! My Lady Morganna… her power will rise and conquer all! The cursed followers of Apeiron, C.C. Corp, stole her eight greatest warriors, but they are fools. With the wand of Skeith that they left behind, we will rise, and take back what is ours! All glory to the Lady of the Twilight!"

He suddenly stopped. Haruko stood directly before him, his blade pressed against Pyrrhia's throat. "Never give that title to your filthy mistress again," he breathed. "Only Aura-sama, and no other, can be given the title of 'Twilight'. Morganna is not fit to wear that mantle. Never again." He paused. "And that face… you will not wear that ever again." The bracelet glowed and struck out at Pyrrhia. "Never wear Sora-kun's face again, within my presence or without!" Haruko howled.

The Sora-face shattered like a broken mask, but before anyone could make out the real one behind it, Pyrrhia staggered back, clutching his head. He gasped and warped out. In his wake, the field began to shatter apart. Haruko spun around to see Tabby and Sakisaka waving at him from the platform. He sighed with relief as the three warped out, just before the field crumbled around them.

Author's Notes: You can't have Sakisaka show up without the good ol' Sakisaka catch phrase being brought up. (By which I mean to say, I couldn't resist. )

And, meanwhile... new villains emerge, and a powerful weapon is on their side! What will happen to our heroes now? And what is this mysterious ability that Haruko has awakened in himself? Find out next time- same Bat time, same Bat channel!

...Okay, enough silliness. Anyway, our little prologue is fast drawing to a close, and then the real story will begin. Come back on Wednesday for the final installment of Overture of the Twilight.


	12. Twilight

The next day, Haruko wearily approached an event NPC in Mac Anu's harbor. The NPC, dressed like a sea captain, nodded and led him aboard a large ship. "Onwards, Emperor Haruko, to Hy Brasil, the Isle of Kings," it said.

Haruko sighed. _I wish I didn't have to go to this. After what happened yesterday, I don't really feel like going to a party. I don't even feel like an Emperor._

Tabby and Sakisaka had stayed with him for a while after their escape from Pyrrhia's trap, and both of them had refused to blame him. "There was no reason to suspect him, Haruko," Sakisaka had said. "Only a complete paranoiac would have distrusted that message."

"Yeah, and besides, you and that weird bracelet saved the day, so no worries, right?" Tabby had added. "You beat that Pyrrhia jerk into the ground! He was scared stiff of you!"

Sakisaka had laughed. "So were both of us. It's a good thing we're all friends, eh?"

Tabby had latched onto Sakisaka's arm. "Yep! But don't worry, we weren't really scared of you, Haruko! We know you're a nice guy. So don't worry about it. Really, we're fine!"

Haruko sighed again. _I can't believe I got those two involved in all of this. I just hope they'll listen to what I told them and stay out of things from now on._

At Hy Brasil, Akiko and Henako were waiting to greet him. "Cheer up, Haruko!" said Henako. "Tabby told me all about your little run-in. Don't worry about it. I'm more interested in what your bracelet did. I've never heard of anything like that, even in all the weirdest rumor threads about the dot hackers!"

Haruko smiled slightly. "I guess…" _What _did_ the bracelet do back there? I thought Data Drain was its only power, but are there others that even Kite-sama didn't know about?_

Atoli waved at them from the top of the stairs. "Oniichan, everyone, they're waiting for you! Come on!"

After another of the announcer's overly enthusiastic speeches, complete with some of the oddest poses Haruko had ever seen, the three champions warped in atop a long flight of stairs, to thunderous cheers from the seated audience. Haruko broke into a warm smile. An official NPC walked up and presented him with an item called "Phoenix Blade", an extremely rare katana. He twirled it around, brandishing it with a flourish.

An amazing number of people had turned up for the party. Haruko had been present at Hy Brasil once before, for the party where Antares had been crowned Emperor, but there were at least twice as many people now.

In one corner, Antares lounged at one of the tables, laughing heartily. "Come on, Haruko, have a drink with me!"

Haruko rolled his eyes. "Are you seriously drunk, Antares-jiisan?"

Antares laughed. "Yep!"

Haruko sighed. "Getting drunk is fun sometimes, but I'm just not in the mood…"

Antares shrugged. "Oh well, more for me then!"

At another table, Kuhn was chatting with a pretty young girl. As Haruko approached, his hands on his hips, Kuhn looked up with a grin on his face. "Hey, here's the man himself now! The new Emperor, Haruko!" He grinned sheepishly. "Um… no hard feelings about me being on Antares' team, right?"

Haruko frowned. "I don't know… you did take out Henako-chan, after all."

Kuhn blanched. "Oh no… I knew I shouldn't have agreed to that offer…"

Haruko snickered, and then broke out laughing. "Geez, you're so gullible sometimes! Of course I'm not mad. Out of curiosity… what'd he offer you? An invitation to a mixed party or something?"

Kuhn rubbed his cheek with one finger and blushed slightly. "Well, something like that anyway."

Haruko rolled his eyes. "Those womanizing ways of yours will come back to haunt you one of these days, Kuhn. Watch your step."

One of the two other characters with Kuhn spoke up. "Don't mind Kuhn. That's just his illness, you know?" The new character was a Blade Brandier, attired all in green. His hair was short and brown, with a long ponytail curving down his back.

Haruko smiled. "I know. Kuhn and I have been friends for a while now. So, are you in Canard too?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I'm Silabus. This is Gaspard," he added, indicating a short, dog-eared Shadow Warlock at his side. "We're both new members. Kuhn's helped us out a lot. But he told us about you, too. He says you and Yuki help him out a lot."

Gaspard grinned. He wore a simple red-and-white tribal outfit, with a blue orb hanging on either side of his neck. "Say, Haruko, do you like cards at all?"

Haruko shrugged. "What kind? Do you mean like baseball cards, or…"

Gaspard laughed. "Oh, all kinds, really. But I was thinking about 'The World's new card game, Crimson VS."

Haruko smiled. "You're into that, are you? I have a deck based around Balmung, but I don't do much with it." He paused. "Say… you're not by any chance _that_ Gaspard, the Crimson VS champion, are you?"

Gaspard grinned modestly. "Balmung, huh? He's a pretty good card, I'll give you that, but you can't pull off any really spectacular combinations with him. Now, if you play Haseo at Dawn, and use his 14 Charisma…"

Silabus rolled his eyes. "There he goes again. I warn you, if you get Gaspard started on cards, he's not going to stop for a long time."

Henako let out a wild whoop, making everyone jump. "That's fine, because I love cards! Especially that old game Magic- the illustrations are so creepy and cool at the same time!" She and Gaspard quickly fell into a discussion of obscure cards and tactics.

Haruko shrugged. "Well, I'll see you guys around, I guess. Let me know if you need help any time. I'm almost always free." He exchanged member addresses with Silabus and Gaspard and moved on.

Endrance stood nearby, leaning against a wall. "Congratulations… Haruko…" he said in his usual, detached voice. "Your skills are quite impressive… 'She'… thinks so too," he added, petting the white cat that sat on his shoulder.

Haruko blinked. "She? What is that cat, anyway?"

Endrance smiled sadly. "Don't you remember us, Haruko? It was seven years ago, but even so..."

Haruko stared. "Wait… _Elk-san_?"

Endrance nodded softly. "There… I knew you would get it in the end, Haruko."

Haruko nodded. "And so that means that 'she' is Mia-san. I'm sorry. It shouldn't have taken me this long to remember you two."

Endrance gave a quiet laugh. "It's all right, Haruko… You never saw 'her' before, so of course it wouldn't have registered… that I could be the same Elk you used to help out… After all, only the hair and my cap… is the same as it was back then."

Haruko shrugged. A fragment from the Epitaph floated through his mind. _Macha seduces with the sweet trap…_ He nodded. "Just be careful, Elk-san. I know how much you care about her, but don't forget what Mia-san turned out to be."

Endrance smiled sadly. "I will. Thank you… for caring about me… That makes me happy…"

Haruko grinned. "Of course. I always care about my friends."

At the next table, Tabby and Sakisaka relaxed, taking in the sights. As usual, Tabby spent most of the time clinging to Sakisaka's arm. "Hey, Haruko!" she called as he passed. "Glad to see you're not looking so glum anymore!"

Sakisaka smiled, his eyes half-closed. "No worries, right? We're both fine."

Tabby nodded. "Yeah. On the other hand… sorry, but we're not going to keep out of it, either. We won't do anything dumb, but we can't just let this go."

Sakisaka shrugged. "We're still members of the Twilight Brigade, after all. Even if the guild's disbanded for now, we couldn't call ourselves members if we failed to follow a lead like this on the Key of the Twilight." He tapped Haruko's bracelet. "I've heard about this little beauty before. It's not the entire key, but it's part of it, right? I figure, if we keep our ears open and stay near you, we're bound to find it eventually."

Haruko laughed. "You guys… I guess there was never any chance of talking you out of it, was there? Well, okay, but be careful."

Tabby gave him a salute. "Of course!"

Sakisaka chuckled. "I know. Besides, now I'll have something to be puzzled about after all."

Haruko rolled his eyes. "That's true. And I missed the old Sakisaka catch-phrase." He paused. "If you're interested… my guild's Second Unit deals mostly with rumor-gathering and investigation. I'll email you later with a time; meet me at Hulle Granz and we can talk about it then."

Tabby gave him a thumbs-up. "Sounds promising. And maybe I'll hear something about Haseo, too!" She paused, and became immobile for a moment. "Oh, man…" she groaned after a moment. "I have to go. I'll see you both later, okay?"

Sakisaka shrugged. "I'd better go too. Bye, Haruko." The two of them logged out.

At the last table sat Atoli and Sakubo. Haruko sat down with them. "Hey, Atoli, Bo-kun," he said cheerfully.

Atoli smiled happily, but Sakubo sneered. "Hey, don't take that friendly tone with me! And can't you tell me apart from my idiot brother?"

Haruko blinked. "Oops. Sorry, Saku-san. _Is_ there a way to tell you two apart, though?"

Saku sighed. "Yeah, two. First, see these charms on my hat?" She indicated the two-pointed cap on her head. From one point hung a small sun, and from the other hung a moon. "See, I always have the point with the sun facing up, and when Bo plays, the moon is pointing up." She stood up and turned around. "And also, this bag on my back is red for me and black for Bo. It's not that hard to remember."

Haruko shrugged. "Unless you've never been told before. Then it would be hard to remember."

Saku sighed. Then she straightened. "What is it? Oh, fine." She rolled her eyes. "Bo asked me to tell you 'congratulations' from him. He says that fight between you and Antares was amazing." She shrugged. "Well… yeah, it was pretty cool. You're really strong, you know?" She let out a little "hmph!" and sat back down.

Atoli smiled. "You really did it, Oniichan! I still can't believe you're the Emperor!"

Haruko sighed. "I still don't really feel like one, after what happened yesterday."

Atoli blinked. "What do you mean? Tell me about it."

Haruko shook his head. "You've got plenty of troubles already. I don't want to burden you with mine."

Atoli shook her head. "I don't mind. That's what little sisters are there for, right?"

Haruko looked up. "What do you mean? Big brothers are supposed to protect their sisters from things like that."

Atoli smiled. "But that doesn't mean they have to face them all alone, right? A sister should be someone you can tell this kind of thing to. They should help their big brothers be strong."

Haruko sighed. "All right, then." He plunged into a description of what had happened the day before. When he had finished, Atoli put her hand on his. "Oniichan…" she said softly. "You shouldn't keep things like that bottled up inside. But really, you shouldn't think that way. Think about it this way, instead. All three of you are still here because you were strong, strong enough to stop Pyrrhia. Someone that strong deserves to be the Emperor."

Saku shrugged. "I don't really get it… but Atoli's right. And anyway, you shouldn't be all mopey about some dumb event. Get up and keep going! Otherwise you'll be as weak as you keep thinking you are."

Haruko rubbed the back of his head. "Guess I can be a real idiot sometimes, huh? Thanks, Atoli. And you too, Saku-san." He grinned.

An indicator appeared at the bottom of Haruko's screen. He blinked. "Wow… That's a lot of mail. I'll be back in a few minutes, girls."

Atoli nodded. "Sure. We'll be waiting, right Saku?"

Saku shrugged. "Yeah, sure." Haruko laughed and logged out.

When he returned to his desktop, Sora found that his mailbox was suddenly overflowing with messages. Messages from every single one of his friends, besides those who had attended the party, had filled it almost to its capacity. He began to read, chuckling sometimes as he came across a familiar name.

_Hey, little Haruko! I hear tell you've beaten down even old man Antares! Glad to hear it! But then again, nobody I picked to be my rival would be weak enough to lose a tournament. Well, in any case, I'll get you next time for sure! -Matsu_

_So, you really are living up to the title I gave you three years ago. I'm glad to hear the third Descendant is still fighting hard in 'The World'. Don't forget any of us while you're off being famous, okay? -Balmung_

_Good work, Haruko! Let us know if you ever need the power of a housewife (or a grade schooler), 'kay? And don't ever hesitate to drop one of us a line if you ever want to unload your troubles. Nya ha ha! -Mistral♥ and Mirelle♥_

_…Wow, you really are strong no matter what class you pick, aren't you? You're almost as scary as Ouka was the first time we met her. Hope Zefie isn't giving you too much trouble… -Shugo and Rena_

_Congratulations on the Emperor's title, Haruko. I managed to find a video clip- you wield your twin blades just as well as you did back then. I hear you've inherited my bracelet, too. I'm glad- if something's happening in 'The World' again, I can't think of anyone better to wield it. Just be careful, okay? We'd all be sad if you fell into a coma. Then again, you're strong enough that I don't have to worry, right? -Kite_

_Truly amazing. Even after losing your character a second time, you've fought back and proven your strength. But then again, that strength never really came from your class or your level, did it? By the way, Tsukasa and Subaru said hi, and asked why you never seem to email anymore. Even if they don't get a chance to respond often, none of us have forgotten about you. -Bear_

Sora felt a slight pang at that last one- although he'd kept in touch with all of his friends over the years, his contact with Tsukasa and Subaru had fallen off recently. He made sure to send both of them a long message at once.

The last one made him smile.

_Way to go, Haruko! I expected nothing less from my little knight in shining armor. Congratulations from the old damsel in distress! -Mimiru_

Sora chuckled. _Mimiru-chan…_ He remembered how she had used to call him her shining knight ever since he'd saved her from a crazy PK. He smiled, remembering. _Come to think of it, wasn't that Sora-kun that came after her? Our first battle…_

Sora laughed, remembering. "I had almost forgotten what an idiot he was," he mused. "It's a shame that Morganna made him forget. Even if he was a little weird, he was a good friend." He scrolled through the list of messages again, before moving them to a save folder on his desktop. But thanks to Morganna's machinations, there was no message from anyone named Sora. There was one from Haseo, however, that he'd missed. He opened it.

_Hey, Haruko. I hear you're the new Arena champion. Not bad. If you keep this up, I really will end up being the only one stronger than you. By the way, have you heard anything about Tri-Edge yet? I've had no luck so far. -Haseo_

Sora smiled. Even in the midst of his search, Haseo had remembered him. He dashed off a reply before heading back to Hy Brasil.

_Hey, Haseo-dono. I've run into some pretty strange monsters, but no sign of Tri-Edge yet. I did meet Ovan at Arche Koeln about a week ago, but he didn't stay long. I still have no idea what he's up to… Anyway, Sakisaka-san and Tabby-chan both are worried about you too. Send them a message once in a while, would you? I think they'd be glad just to know you're still okay. -Haruko_

Back on Hy Brasil, the party was still running strong despite Haruko's absence. After making another round of the tables and talking to everyone again (except Gaspard and Henako, who were still engrossed in their card discussions), he walked to the west side of the island, where a roofed balcony overlooked the setting sun. He knelt, resting his arms and chin on the rail. "The City of Water, Mac Anu," he mused. "Dun Loireag was always my favorite, but this is a very close second."

After a long while, a voice intruded on his thoughts. "Amazing view, isn't it?"

Haruko turned around and looked up. A cat-like avatar was floating in midair right beside him. He grinned, eyes wide. "Phyllo-jiisan!"

Phyllo smiled down at him with his usual mixture of kindness and smugness. "I'm sorry I'm late, but I had some things to take care of."

Haruko stood up, head tilted and his eyes happy slits. "Don't worry about it. I'm just happy that you made it." He waved a hand at the nearly deserted tables. "But I'm afraid that the party is just about over."

Phyllo nodded. "Well, then you wouldn't mind coming with me, then? There is something you need to see."

Haruko turned, suddenly serious. "Sure. Where are we going?"

Phyllo floated towards the dock. "First, we need to visit Hulle Granz. We can only get to where we're going from there, and anyway we need to pick up our third member."

Haruko nodded, and approached the event NPC. "We're heading back," he said.

A few minutes later, the two players warped into Hulle Granz. Phyllo floated ahead and opened the doors. Haruko had to run to keep up. "So, who's our third member?" he asked.

"I am," came a soft voice. Zefie approached them from the first row of pews.

Haruko shook his head in disbelief. "Zefie-chan? Wait, Phyllo-jiisan. Just where are we going?"

Phyllo shrugged. "You'll see soon enough."

Haruko glared. "I want to hear it now."

Phyllo blinked. "What's gotten into you, Haruko? You used to trust me completely."

Haruko looked away. "The other day, that sort of trusting almost got Sakisaka-san and Tabby-chan killed."

Phyllo nodded. "Pyrrhia. I heard you did very well against him. You even unlocked one of the Bracelet's secret powers."

Haruko's eyes blazed. "This is why I'm suspicious! How can you possibly know all of this?"

Zefie gently took hold of his hand. "It's all right, Haruko," she said softly. "I trust him. The old tomcat knows a lot. I don't know how he knows, but I do know he's on our side. On my mommy's side."

Haruko shook his head, and then bowed low. "I'm sorry, Phyllo-jiisan."

Phyllo floated towards the platform. "It's all right. I shouldn't have revealed how much I know all at once. It would make anybody suspicious, even if they weren't just getting over an event like Pyrrhia's attack." He pulled out a small green card. "Now, then, let's go. You're very lucky, you know. Very few players have ever seen this place."

Haruko stared. "A Helba Key... So, then we're going…"

"To the Net Slums, yes," Phyllo affirmed. He raised the object. Suddenly, all three of them warped.

The Net Slums resembled nothing so much as the ruins of a once-prosperous city. The buildings around them were crumbling, and the graphics were broken and choppy. All around them, bizarrely altered avatars wandered the streets. Haruko caught a glimpse of a brown-haired girl in white. Zefie nodded. "This is the place. So then, we're going to go see my mommy?"

Phyllo smiled. "You're quite perceptive, Zefie. Yes, we're going to see Aura- if she's still there, that is." He began rummaging through a nearby pile of junk.

"I've already gotten them out for you, Phyllo." A female avatar floated down from the sky, eyes hidden behind a visor.

Haruko stared. "Are you… Helba-sama?"

Helba smiled. "It seems you're perceptive as well, Haruko. Yes, I am Helba. But I'm surprised that you address me as -sama. I am a hacker, after all."

Haruko shrugged. "Well, yes, you're a hacker, but you've used your abilities to benefit 'The World'- and, more importantly, my friends. I understand the game has rules that need to be bent sometimes. You always know just when to bend them and when not to."

Helba bowed, smiling. "I'm flattered." She turned to Phyllo. "They're right here." She held out three glowing crystals.

Phyllo's eyes lit up. "Ah, there they are. Thank you, Helba."

Helba nodded. "I hope you find what you are searching for." She faded out.

Phyllo shook his head. "That's Helba for you. She's as eccentric as Ovan and twice as mysterious." He held out the crystals. "Do you know how to use these?"

Haruko nodded. "Yeah. Shugo-kun told me all about what happened that day." He held out the bracelet and touched the crystals. They shone with a blinding light, and suddenly the three warped once again.

When Haruko opened his eyes, a strange sight met his eyes. A wide, grassy space extended before them, ringed at the end with trees. Everything beyond the trees, including the sky, was white, but black clouds were slowly crowding out the white sky. There was an occasional flash of lightning. However, the thing that drew their eyes was a child's bed, sitting in the center of the grass. Lying on the white sheets was a large teddy bear, and…

"Mommy!" shouted Zefie. She dashed over to the sleeping girl.

Haruko stared. "Aura… sama…" he breathed, hardly daring to believe it. He walked slowly over to Zefie's side. The girl's face was beautiful in sleep. Long white hair framed a pale, distant face. "Is it really you, Aura-sama?" he muttered.

Zefie shook her. "Mommy! It's me!"

The girl stirred. Lids drew back to reveal deep violet eyes. Aura smiled. "Haruko… you came."

Haruko smiled, a tear starting in the corner of each eye. "Aura-sama… it really is you…"

Aura giggled softly. "You've wanted to meet me for ten years now. Was it worth the wait?"

Haruko laughed. "Of course."

Aura turned to Zefie. "Zefie… I'm sorry we were separated."

Zefie shook her head, sniffling. "It's… it's all right, Mommy. I found you in the end."

Aura sighed. "I'm sorry, though. I can't play with you… just yet."

Haruko's eyes widened. "You're not ready to wake up yet, are you?"

Aura shook her head, her eyes slowly closing. "No… not just yet. But I did want to see you both… however briefly."

Zefie sobbed. "Mommy… how much longer do I have to wait?"

Haruko put a hand on her shoulder. "It's all right, Zefie-chan. We'll figure it out somehow. And besides, just to know that Aura-sama is still here, and safe, is enough to keep me going."

Aura gave a slight nod, lips parted in a small smile. Her eyes seemed to sparkle as they closed once again.

Haruko sighed, and sat down with his back to the bed. "All right, then. So, this is what you wanted us to see?"

Phyllo nodded. "Yes. You needed to know just what is at stake here." He paused. "She's very grateful, you know. No matter what, over the past ten years you've been willing to drop everything and run to her rescue whenever she needed you. Letting you see her, and forcing herself awake for a moment, was the least she could do."

Haruko sighed. "Phyllo-jiisan… please, tell me what you know about all of this. I need to know as much as I can find out."

Phyllo nodded. "I won't tell you how I know about Aura, or the rest of it, but I will tell you what I know. But first, what do you need to be told?"

Haruko sighed, and raised his right arm. "First of all, there's this thing. You knew, somehow, that the bracelet held powers that Kite-sama didn't know about. But what are they? And what did it do yesterday, when I used it to save Tabby-chan?"

Phyllo smiled. "Ah, an excellent first question. The power of the Bracelet of the Twilight is the ability to alter data. Although it's the main ability, and the one you'll be using virtually 100 percent of the time, Data Drain is only the most basic of its powers, and that can only modify data to a limited extent- reformatting, for example. But, there are more powers hidden in the bracelet than just that. Like the Data Shield you used yesterday, for example. That ability is similar to an old firewall. It basically prevents any alteration to the data within its field of protection. That's why Pyrrhia's Data Drain was ineffective."

Haruko stared at the bracelet. "I never knew it was so powerful. So there are more? How do I use them? And how did I call the Data Shield, anyway?"

Phyllo shrugged. "You've used Data Drain often enough to know how to call the powers of the bracelet. It's all in your heart and your emotions. Of course, since the other powers are essentially specialized versions of Data Drain, you won't be able to fire it off with just any strong emotion. Only the right strong emotion can call a power."

Haruko nodded. "And of course, you won't tell me what the other powers are, or how to call any of them, right? Because you can't. I have to figure them out for myself."

Phyllo raised one hand, index finger extended in the air. "Bingo. But you should at least be able to figure out the Data Shield. What were you thinking, at that moment?"

Haruko shrugged. "Well, I was scared, I guess. Tabby-chan was in trouble, and…"

Phyllo wagged his finger. "No, no. You weren't scared. You're never scared; it's just not in you to be scared. Well… not in a combat situation, anyway."

Haruko blinked. "I… guess you're right." His eyes suddenly widened. "Oh… I get it! The bracelet responded to my desire to protect Tabby-chan."

Phyllo smiled. "Precisely. The will and desire to protect others from harm; that is the key to using the Data Shield. The other powers work in much the same way. You'll find them out soon enough."

Zefie tugged on Haruko's arm. "But what about my mommy?"

Phyllo sighed. "Well, she's just not ready to wake up yet. She's reverted to the way she was when 'The World' was just started."

Haruko sighed. "The way she was when Morganna first entrapped Tsukasa-sama. But I'm not her. I don't know how to wake Aura-sama."

Phyllo shook his head. "Before, Morganna needed to take all of Tsukasa's real-life pain and focus it to get enough negative feeling to stop Aura from waking up. But now, with all the rampant player-killers running around, it's like there's a miasma of dark feelings clouding this place." He indicated the dark clouds swirling above. "And AIDA's intrusion is only making things worse."

Haruko sighed. "Well… all we can really do is bring light to wherever we can. And I… all I could ever do was protect her, anyway."

Phyllo frowned. "Don't think that way, Haruko. You and your friends have done many wonderful things."

Haruko sighed. "I know. Like I said, we can make light in small places, like I did with Bo-kun. But the one who can blow away all of these clouds… that person isn't me."

Zefie's eyes narrowed. "Idiot. This from one of the legendary Descendents of Fianna?"

Haruko looked over at her. "I earned that title by beating an incredibly strong monster. Same with 'Haruko of the Emerald Winds'. The only thing I'm good at, it seems, is slaying monsters and laying waste to PKers. What good is that here?"

Zefie's eyes flashed. "You idiot!" Suddenly, Haruko flew about ten feet through the air, his cheek mashed flat from the force of her attack. Zefie stood there with her hands on her hips and boxing gloves on her hands. Haruko stared. "Zefie-chan?"

Zefie glared at him. "Just because you're good at slaying enemies doesn't mean that's all you can do. Don't you remember what you told Atoli when you first met her?"

Haruko stood stock-still, his own words flashing through his mind. _Yeah, I am a PKK. Please don't think worse of me for it, though. We're guardians, not destroyers._

Zefie smirked. "You got it half right. But you're not a guardian. You and everyone who fights with you… you're saviors."

Haruko looked away. "I'm not so arrogant that I'd use a word like that. Who have I ever saved?"

Zefie pointed a finger at him, and suddenly Haruko's hair vanished entirely, leaving a shiny, bald dome. Haruko blinked. "Hey!" he shouted.

Zefie smirked. "Do I have your attention now?" she asked, restoring his hair with another wave of her hand. "Because you seem to have forgotten… you saved me! Three years ago, remember? Did you already forget all the vagrant AIs you saved from Kamui's clutches? I was one of them, too. It was in the greatest battle you ever fought- except maybe that time you beat The One Sin. You won your title of 'Emerald Winds' that day."

Haruko sighed. "Yeah, a title befitting one who could take out an entire…"

Annoyed, Zefie made his mouth vanish for a few seconds. "You can't really be that big of an idiot, Haruko. Balmung gave you that title for two reasons. First of all, because you had always aspired to be like him. He knew that, and so he gave you a title similar to his own. He respected you! And the second was not that you _could_ take out a battalion of Cobalt Knights, but that you _did_ it in order to save someone else- me! Your willingness to do anything to protect others… that is what he respected. That's why he wanted to call you 'Haruko of the Azure Winds,' remember?"

Haruko stared. "How… I never told anyone! Balmung-sama and I were the only ones who ever heard that title! And then I told him that I could never…"

Zefie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, you could never take a title on his level. Don't you get it, though? Because you fought so hard to save me, you were an equal in his eyes! In the eyes of Balmung, the one dot hacker you liked and respected more than any other, you were just as great!"

Haruko shook his head. "Not in my eyes. I could never be as great as Balmung-sama."

Zefie glared at him. "And saving me is just the tip of the iceberg. You've put your life on the line to save total strangers from PKers and AIDA alike hundreds of times just in the past few weeks. And then, of course, there are all the lives you've touched. Atoli, Bo, Alkaid, Shugo and Rena, Mimiru, Mirelle and Mistral, Subaru and Tsukasa… the list is endless. You were there for all of them."

She bent down near Haruko and looked him in the eye. Her voice suddenly became soft and gentle. "It isn't arrogance to take a word, or a title, that befits you, Haruko. You are a true savior."

Haruko smiled sadly. "Thanks, Zefie-chan. But…" He grinned. "Was the legendary boomerang hook really necessary?"

Zefie shrugged, smirking. "Well, it worked on the ganguro girl, after all."

Haruko rolled his eyes. "Well, I suppose I did need to have some sense knocked into me." He sighed. "So, what now, then? Even if it turns out that I'm the one to wake Aura-sama up, how do I do it?"

Phyllo floated over. "Even Tsukasa didn't know how to wake Aura, until the day that he did it. You'll have to find out for yourself too." He crossed his arms. "That is, if you _are_ the one who will wake her up."

Haruko sighed. "But what about Pyrrhia? Why does he have Skeith's wand?"

Phyllo shook his head. "As to that, I have no idea. He is one of a group of four people calling themselves the 'Disciples of Morganna', but whether they've had actual contact with her is beyond my knowledge."

Haruko frowned. "He kept talking about 'sacrificing' the three of us in order to increase Morganna's power. I'd guess these four have indeed contacted her, which means we could be in big trouble."

Phyllo nodded. "I'll send you all the information I have on those four. It would take me ages to tell you it all in person, and I have to leave now anyway."

Haruko nodded. "All right. See you later, Phyllo-jiisan."

Phyllo bowed and warped out. Haruko sighed. "We should probably go too, Zefie-chan."

Zefie shook her head defiantly. "No. I'm going to stay here for a while, with my mommy. Who knows when we'll be able to come back here? Even if she's not awake…"

Haruko smiled. "I understand. I'll stay with you, then."

Zefie blinked. "No, go ahead and get some sleep. I don't need to sleep because I'm a vagrant AI, but you're- as Americans say- only human."

Haruko grinned. "What do you take me for? I'm not going to leave an unhappy little girl all alone like this. I'll stay with you until you're ready to head back." He leaned back against the bed's side and put his hands behind his head.

Zefie smiled and sat down beside him. "Thanks, Haruko," she said softly. "But… don't you get bored really easily?"

Haruko blinked. "Oh… you have a point there," he moaned. "But then again, I really don't have anything better to do. And it's the weekend, so I can stay up all night with you if you want."

Zefie grinned. "Well, want to play a game to pass the time, then?"

Haruko shrugged. "Sure, why not? What game?"

Zefie smirked. "How about… Shiritori!"

Haruko blinked. "Shiritori? So, you're suggesting that I, a person for whom Japanese is a second language, challenge you, an AI with a loaded Japanese dictionary, to a Japanese word game?" He shrugged. "Sounds like fun! But you go first. And phrases from manga are fair game, okay?"

Zefie laughed. "Fine. Reiatsu."

Haruko rolled his eyes. "Tsuki!"

"Kimeru!"

"Rurouni!"

"I knew you'd think of that… Nihon!"

Despite his protests, it was nearly an hour before Haruko lost the first round. The game extended long into the night, until eventually Haruko fell asleep, leaning against the bed. Zefie smiled happily, leaned against his side, and closed her eyes as well.

Author's Notes: Ah, the shiritori game... For those of you who don't know, shiritori is a Japanese word game wherin players say words in order, and each word has to start with the last syllable (kana) of the previous word. (Recall that Japanese is a phonetic language, as opposed to our twenty-six letters; instead, they have forty-six hiragana symbols that make forty-six phonetic sounds.) Readers of .hack//Legend of the Twilight will remember that one... well, that's why Zefie did it in the first place.

So, we come to the end of part I. I'll post a little extra something on Friday, but part II won't start getting posted until after I get back from spring break. (Once we get there, though, there won't be any gaps, because I've already finished the story up to the end of part III.) Part II actually starts something different- unlike part I, the other three parts are going to focus partially on "The World" and partially on the real world. Thanks for bearing with me through this... and look forward to more to come!


	13. Omake: Passing the Torch

Omake: Passing the Torch

Time: 2017, three months after the end of Segment 1.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have an absolutely staggering match for you today!" The arena's announcer was in full swing, as always. "In this, the final match of the Demon Palace tournament, two mighty meteors collide!"

"You've said that before, you know," mused his co-commentator.

The announcer blinked. "Well, even if I have… it still quite befits this match today!" He swept one arm out over the arena floor. "Today, our first team is a common sight… Moon Tree's Team Matsu!"

Matsu, Sakaki, and Hiiragi warped in atop a high podium at one end. Matsu grinned and pumped his fist in the air. The announcer nodded. "Team Matsu has crushed every opponent they've faced so far with complete ease. Three teams so far have fallen to the thirsty blades of Matsu and Sakaki!"

On the opposite pillar, Alkaid warped in, flanked by her usual companions. "And against them today stands the young wildcard, Team Alkaid! This up-and-coming team became the top Arena ranker only a few weeks after their first registration, and only the Emperor Haruko himself could stop her meteoric rise to the top! Although this is her first time back to the finals since then, her skills look like they haven't diminished a bit!"

He turned to the young man seated next to him. "And speaking of the Emperor, allow me to introduce my guest commentator for the match: Emperor Haruko himself!"

Haruko raised his head and grinned. "Thanks. This is going to be quite a match."

The announcer nodded. As the teams warped to the arena floor, he said, "Who do you think will win, Emperor?"

Haruko shrugged. "I'm not sure. Both teams are strong- I know that from personal experience. Team Alkaid could have some trouble facing down Hiiragi-san's grey magic; it cost my own team our victory the first time we faced her. But Alkaid-chan and her teammates are good enough with tactics to possibly overcome that. More importantly…" He grinned. "Both team leaders are rivals of mine, willing to fight hard just for the chance to challenge me as Emperor."

The announcer nodded. "So…?"

Haruko shrugged, held out one hand flat, and waved it. "Fifty-fifty, I'd say. But if I had to pick one…" He sighed. "I guess Team Alkaid. I've got a grudge against Sakaki-san that would make the fight less enjoyable."

Matsu gave a mock glare at the announcer's booth. "Hey!" he shouted.

Haruko grinned wickedly. "Hey, he did ask. And you know how Sakaki-san and I are. Anyway, like I said, it's fifty-fifty, so no hard feelings, right Matsu-san?"

Matsu grinned. "Of course not. So, can we fight now?"

Haruko laughed. "Go to it, you two! Show us what you've got!"

Alkaid gave a mock salute. "As you command, Caesar!"

Haruko rolled his eyes as the two teams assaulted each other.

About five minutes into the match, both teams were tired, but neither side had lost a player yet. Haruko sat up straight, watching with interest. "Well, it looks like I was wrong about Hiiragi-san being a problem. No matter what he does, it looks like Team Alkaid isn't going to let him get off even one spell." He grinned. "Looks like Alkaid-chan was watching during the last title match." As he spoke, Alkaid darted past Sakaki's guard and finished off the last of Hiiragi's health. Haruko grinned. "Like I said, not a problem."

Sakaki huffed and raised his hand. "Rip Ma-" he started to call out.

One of Alkaid's wingmen shot across and cut him off with a Whirlwind attack. Alkaid wagged a finger. "You're not using spells on our watch."

Matsu flew across and attacked her. "What about regular attacks, though?" he quipped. Alkaid threw up her blades to block him. Sakaki grinned and darted in.

It happened so fast that even Haruko, who had been expecting it, almost missed it. Alkaid slid to one side of Matsu's blade, blocked Sakaki with her now free left hand, and then twirled on the spot, ending up behind Sakaki. Without losing a beat, she struck him from behind with a point-blank Sword Dance. Sakaki groaned and fell to the arena floor.

Matsu backed up, staring at the three enemies surrounding him. "Whoa… déjà vu," he muttered.

Alkaid grinned, and then looked at her comrades. "Ready?" she asked.

Both of them nodded. "Ready."

Alkaid smiled. "Sorry, Matsu, but Haruko's mine." She raised her blades. "All together now… Beast Awakening!" A bright orange light flared around all three team members, and suddenly they moved so fast they seemed blurred. Haruko's eyes lit up as the three blurs converged on Matsu, wiping out his last hit points in a matter of seconds with blades so fast they couldn't be seen.

The announcer was dumbfounded. "That… that was…"

Haruko cut in. "Amazing! Alkaid-chan and her teammates pulled out a Beast Awakening that completely crushed Matsu-san! Victory goes to them today!" He shook his head. "Even as Awakenings go, that was pretty impressive. It looks like Team Alkaid is a close-knit team indeed. That strength that lets each fight on, trusting their comrades to play their part as well, is a true strength indeed. It's that strength that won this battle."

The announcer tapped his foot and glared at him. "Are you trying to put me out of a job?" he whined.

Haruko rubbed the back of his head. "I should hope not… I'll be quiet now." He sat back down, smiling calmly.

The announcer huffed. "Truly amazing! I am unable to find words to describe the amazing sight I've just seen!"

Haruko smirked. "That, and the fact that I stole everything you were going to say." He grinned sheepishly under another withering glare. "Keeping quiet. Got it!"

The announcer sighed. "Oh, why bother," he muttered. "He's right... he took everything I was going to say, and said it better!"

Haruko shrugged. "As you like." He rose and left.

Outside the arena, Alkaid was waiting with a smirk on her face. "You're next, Emperor. I'm going to beat you and settle this once and for all."

Haruko grinned. "I'm looking forward to it. But really, no rivalry should ever be settled 'once and for all'."

Alkaid scratched her head. "I guess you're right. But anyway, come the title match next week, that Emperor's title is mine!"

Haruko grinned. "We'll see. I'll be waiting, Alkaid-chan. Show me just how strong you've become in these past three months. But just remember… as an Adept Rogue, I still haven't unlocked my true power."

Alkaid shrugged. "Yeah, no third form yet. I'm surprised you've missed every Job Extend so far."

Haruko grinned sheepishly. "Well, college schedules are crazy in the States. And they're apparently even harder to deal with now that I'm in Kyoto…"

Alkaid blinked. "Kyoto? You're studying abroad, then?"

Haruko nodded. "Yup. I get to go to college in Japan and study all sorts of stuff." He grinned. "Plus, there's plenty of cute Japanese girls to look at."

Alkaid rolled her eyes. "I'll never understand boys."

Haruko laughed. "I'm kidding. But I had you going for a minute, yeah?"

Alkaid sighed. "I really should have seen that coming." She shrugged. "Kyoto, huh? I'm up in Sapporo, in the Hokkaido region. Maybe I'll see you around sometime."

Haruko shrugged. "Yeah, but we probably wouldn't recognize each other at the time."

Alkaid grinned. "Maybe you wouldn't, but I bet I'd be able to recognize you any day."

Haruko rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess you're right. Fine, but I'll depend on you to recognize me and let me know it's you, 'kay?"

Alkaid laughed, and then yawned. "Geez… I'm going to call it a day early, okay?"

Haruko chuckled. "Sure. See you at the title match, Alkaid-chan."

A week passed, and the day of the title match dawned grey and rainy. After a long walk in the rain, Sora logged into "The World".

At the arena, Alkaid was already waiting on her pedestal. She tapped her foot impatiently. "Where is he?" she muttered.

Across the arena, three figures began to warp in. Alkaid grinned. "Finally…" She broke off, staring at Haruko. "That's…"

The announcer gasped. "It's the Emperor, Haruko, all right, but…"

Haruko grinned, his new scarf blowing in the wind. Feathers floated in the wind as his wings slowly opened. "Third form. Now we'll really have a fight worth remembering, eh Alkaid-chan?"

Alkaid stared. "No way… you've got wings now…" She blanched. "The rumors really were true! You're a Descendant of Fianna, like Balmung and Orca, aren't you?"

Haruko's eyes popped. "How does everyone keep finding out my deepest secrets?" He sighed, and then laughed. "Fine, then. Let's go, Alkaid-chan! Prove to everyone here that you're worthy of the title 'Emperor'!"

Alkaid grinned as both teams warped to the arena floor. "Yeah! Even the third Descendant of Fianna won't stop me!"

Haruko nodded. "That's the spirit! But then again… I'd expect nothing less from someone I choose to call my rival."

Alkaid laughed, and charged. "You know it!"

Haruko caught her blades on his own and grinned. "No holding back, mind. Here comes Haruko of the Emerald Winds."

Alkaid nodded. "Of course. I wouldn't be able to call myself Emperor if I didn't beat you at your full strength."

Haruko grit his teeth and forced Alkaid's blades back. With a quick motion, he drew out a beautiful cleric's staff and raised it. "Zan Rom!" he shouted, and a tornado erupted at Alkaid's feet, landing the first strike of the match.

Alkaid leapt to her feet and stopped. "Hey… why are we the only ones fighting?"

Haruko blinked. "Yeah… that's weird. Akiko-kun?"

Akiko nodded gravely. "This fight is between you and Alkaid, Haruko. Both sides have agreed not to interfere."

Alkaid stared. "For real? You'd do that just for me and Haruko?"

Henako laughed. "Why not? You've earned this right."

Alkaid shook her head. "Not alone, I didn't." She turned to her teammates. "You two fought just as hard as I did to get here. Why are you stopping now?"

Her teammates nodded in unison. "We're just taking a break for this one battle," one said.

"Yeah," the other added. "You're Haruko's rival, not either of us. Once you're Emperor, of course we'll all fight together again."

Alkaid shook her head. "You guys…" She grinned. "How about it, Haruko? Let's settle this, just you and me!" She charged again, blades whirling for a Sword Dance.

Haruko seemed to flicker, twin blades back in hand. A trail of feathers flew in his wake as he shot across the arena and caught Alkaid in mid-swing with a Sparrow Counter. He gave a huge grin. "Sounds like fun! Let's do it, Alkaid-chan!"

Alkaid swung her blades around as she stood up, knocking Haruko back. She charged him again, and their blades clashed together. After the previous exchange, Alkaid didn't dare use another arts move without an opening, and Haruko knew better than to try against a tactical fighter like Alkaid. Reduced to regular attacks, the two fighters fought for a long time. The blades of both players were blurs of speed, whirling from front-wield to reverse-wield and back again in the blink of an eye. Both players moved in a strange unison, like an exotic, fluid dance. It was a contest that each knew would be decided by their skill and their own warrior's path.

That's what the announcer kept yelling, anyway.

After about ten minutes of this, Haruko leapt back several feet. He laughed, panting. "Just like mine," he said. "I didn't think anybody else fought like that anymore. Heck, I didn't think anybody else still could."

Alkaid grinned. "That's okay. That's what I thought, too. Man, this has been amazing."

Haruko nodded. "You'll make a fine Emperor, Alkaid-chan. Only one person has ever been able to push me this much, and I haven't seen him in seven years. Now, let's finish this battle." He charged. "Sword Dance!"

Alkaid charged at the exact same moment. "Whirlwind!"

Both battlers clashed together, and then flew apart, blades whirling one last time. At the same moment, they both fell slowly backwards, landing on the arena floor side-by-side. Both of them were panting heavily and grinning for all they were worth.

The announcer gulped as if he had a fish stuck in his throat. "It's… it's a draw, ladies and gentlemen! This is absolutely unprecedented in all the history of the Arena! And in the title match as well!" He paused. "Um… so what happens now? There's no protocol for a result like this."

Alkaid sighed. "So, I guess this means we have to try again tomorrow or something?"

Haruko shook his head. "No. You managed to take my health down to zero. After a feat like that, you deserve the Emperor's seat." He raised up one hand. "I yield my crown to you, Alkaid-san."

Alkaid blinked. "You're calling me -san now? Why, just because I equaled your power? I thought we were friends!" She grinned. "Keep calling me -chan, Haruko. I've gotten way too used to it."

Haruko shrugged. "As you wish. Congratulations, Alkaid-chan. You're the new Emperor of the Demon Palace."

The arena erupted into cheers around them. The announcer was almost apoplectic with excitement. "Ladies and gentlemen, a new star shines bright today! I give you your new Demon Palace Emperor, Alkaid!"

Alkaid sat up and pumped one fist in the air. "You know it!"

Haruko sat up as well, turned, and tapped his clenched fist against Alkaid's. "All right… Whew, I'm beat."

Alkaid grinned. "Me too. We'd both better get some sleep for the party tomorrow."

Haruko blinked. "Tomorrow? Well, okay then. But I may be late; I have class again."

Alkaid rolled her eyes. "I know the feeling. Well, let's go." They rose and warped out together, to thunderous cheers from the audience.

Antares was waiting for them outside. "Well, well. So you finally lost your title, Haruko."

Haruko grinned. "Have I learned what you wanted me to learn, Antares-jiisan?"

Antares nodded and gave him an odd grin. "Yep. You made a fine Emperor, and a fine choice of successor."

Haruko rubbed the back of his head. "I didn't throw the match, so I don't see how you can say I 'chose' a successor."

Antares snorted. "Through your rivalry, you gave Alkaid the fierce strength and will that led her to defeat you. That's what I mean when I say 'choice'. Just like when I took you on as my kohai, until the day you were able to defeat me." He turned to Alkaid. "You fought well, kid. You'll make a great Emperor. But I'll say now to you what I told Haruko when he beat me. A truly great Emperor doesn't reign forever. When the time is right, an emperor should be willing to yield the throne to a successor who will be as strong as he is- or she, of course. Keep that in mind. Don't become someone who clings to that title at any cost."

Alkaid nodded. "I get it. Thanks, old man. You do have some good ideas sometimes- when you're not drunk, that is."

Antares did a furious dance on the spot. "What did you say, you little runt? I'll take you down myself if I have to!"

Haruko laughed. "Unlikely. She drew with me, after all."

Antares grumbled to himself for a minute. When he'd calmed down a little, he sighed. "How about it, you two? One for the album?"

Haruko blinked. "You mean, take a screenshot? Why not? Alkaid-chan, you want to?"

Alkaid grinned. "Sure. Let's see… we'll have to figure out a good pose for it, though."

After messing around for a minute and coming up with some very goofy pose ideas, they both settled on one. Alkaid stood next to Haruko, on his left, with her right arm resting on his right shoulder. Her left hand was directly in front of her, fingers raised in a victory sign. Haruko mirrored her actions precisely. Both of them grinned widely as Antares snapped the screenshot. "Perfect!" he said. "All right, I'll send that to both of you in a few minutes. He walked off. "See you both at the party. Tomorrow, right?"

Alkaid grinned. "That's going to be a great picture, eh?"

Haruko nodded, blushing slightly. "Yeah…"

Alkaid blinked. "Something wrong, Haruko?"

Haruko stepped back. "No, nothing. It's just… I never noticed how cute you are up close, is all."

Alkaid threw him a mock glare. "Am I going to have to beat you down again, Mr. Emperor?"

Haruko put his hands on his hips. "That's Mr. Former Emperor, to you," he teased. "You're the one who's Mr. Emperor now- or is that Ms. Empress?"

Alkaid laughed. "Oh, you're asking for it now!"

Haruko shrugged. "Our rivalry's not over just because you're Emperor now, you know. Come at me any time you feel like it."

Alkaid nodded. "Of course." She paused. "Were you serious earlier, when you said I looked cute?"

Haruko blushed slightly again. "I… guess I was."

Alkaid grinned. "Thanks! I don't hear people say things like that a lot. I mean, some players like to stare, but I never heard 'cute' before. Then again, you're not the staring type anyway."

Haruko shrugged, grinning. "I suppose that's true. I guess I'm the only one who pays more attention to your face than the rest of you."

Alkaid laughed. "You might be right about that. All right, later! And thanks again, for everything. The old man was right; I wouldn't have been able to make it this far if our rivalry wasn't driving me on."

Haruko nodded. "Of course. We're friends, after all, and I'm always willing to help out my friends."

Alkaid smiled happily and logged out. Haruko grinned and followed suit.

Back in our world, Sora slid off his FMD and sighed. A mail icon popped up, and he clicked it. He grinned as he saw the picture Antares had attached. "One for the album, all right," he said to himself.

Moved by a sudden thought, he expertly manipulated several of the computer's controls. After a few minutes, a small piece of paper slid out of his printer's photo slot. Sora picked it up and smiled. "No idea why I'm doing this…" he muttered, and slid it into his wallet, just behind his ID card. "But I do know that I'll never forget that match, or this day."


End file.
